The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued in Awka and made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
Ikenga stated that the suspect, 33, hails from the community but fled the area after the incident.
“He was mentioned as the principal suspect in the case of burning and killing of a 74-year-old woman, Alice Anene, at Abagana, on January 27,” he added.
The suspect, in connivance with three others, allegedly burned the woman in her wheelchair.
They were alleged to have conspired to get rid of her and take over the family’s landed property.
It was further learnt that after killing her, they allegedly cleaned up the place, got a coffin to quietly inter her remains in a bid to conceal their dastardly act.
Luck, however, ran out on them, after some community members, who got wind of their evil plot, alerted the police and got them detained.
The police spokesman disclosed that the principal suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Homicide Section, Awka for debriefing.
NAN reports that three suspects initially detained over the incident included Uzochukwuq Okeke, Fidel Anayo and Ikenna Anene. (NAN)
