Metro
Gory Details of How Billionaire Businessman, Odunukwe Was Murdered, Dismembered and Dumped
The dismembered body of a business mogul, Ignatius Adunukwe (identified as Odunukwe on the social media), has been recovered from a bush in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Adunukwe (name provided by the police) was about to sell a landed property to some supposed buyers when he was allegedly kidnapped by the potential buyers.
It was learnt that the supposed buyers and Adunukwe had agreed on a date and location to meet to perfect the transaction, but the suspects took advantage of the situation to whisk the Enugu State indigene away.
The suspects were said to have coerced the billionaire into signing the agreement for the transaction, after which he was reportedly strangled and injected with a lethal substance in a hotel room in Ajah.
Adunukwe’s corpse was dismembered and the parts were reportedly packed into a bag and dumped in a bush in a bid to conceal the crime.
Chronicling the circumstances surrounding the death of the billionaire on Instagram, a lawyer, identified simply as Smart Law, stated that efforts by Adunukwe’s personal lawyer to accompany him to the meeting point proved abortive.
He said when Adunukwe was nowhere to be found, a case of a missing person was reported to the police and personnel were detailed to commence investigation into the incident.
Smart Law’s post on Instablog9ja read in part, “How the billionaire owner of Fireman Generator was murdered and his body stacked inside a bag.
“Chief Ignatius Odunukwe, who went missing since the first week of December 2019, has been found dead.
“The story had it that the billionaire was killed by his assailants, cut into pieces and his body packed into a Ghana-must-go bag, took to the expressway and dumped inside a forest. The sum of N900m and original documents collected from him.
“Some criminals, who pretended to be land buyers, drew his attention requesting to purchase property since he had one for sale. The deal was concluded and having agreed on the purchase price, the agreement was drafted by his lawyer.
“Both parties agreed to meet on an agreed date and place for the exchange of money and signing of documents, that’s when the whole drama unfolded. Chief Odunukwe’s lawyers suggested going with him for the perfection of the deal, but he declined on the ground that he needed to see someone at Ikoyi Club and that was the last time he was seen alive.
“When the billionaire could not return home, his family reported the incident to the police and investigation commenced. It is always good to disclose your movements to your family. It was his lawyer who unveiled the whole deal to the police.”
However, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Ahmed Iliyasu, said at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday that Adunukwe’s family petitioned the command and narrated their trauma regarding his sudden disappearance, adding that he detailed personnel to go after the abductors.
He stated that four suspects, Daniel Ibeaji, 42; Arinze Igwe, 26; Solomon Cletus, 30; and Israel Obigaremu, 35, were arrested in connection with the crime.
He added that one medical identification card, an axe, remains of the victim in a bag, three AK-47 rifles, one pump action gun, one Ford SUV and property documents belonging to the victim, one Toyota Corolla car, a Nissan salon car, three Tecno phones, four Nokia phones, two Samsung phones and one Bontel phone were recovered from the suspects.
According to him, Adunukwe left his residence at No. 14 Maduke Street, off Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, on December 1, 2019, and never returned home.
Iliyasu said the victim was declared missing, noting that he was strangled and injected with a lethal substance in a hotel room in Ajah.
Iliyasu stated, “The suspects specialise in hacking into unsuspecting members of the public’s Facebook accounts and the moment a person responds to a friendship request, the person is a ready-made target. Daniel Ibeaji, who claimed to be a medical doctor, is the kingpin of the syndicate.
“It was Ibeaji, who approached the late Adunukwe with a business proposal to the tune of N900m, following which they fixed an appointment for the Artican Beach Resort, Ajah, Lagos, having asked the three other suspects to be on red alert for that operation.
“After cajoling Adunukwe into signing the agreed documents, he lured him to his hotel room. In the hotel room, Ibeaji instructed one of his boys to fetch him a bag and pretended as if he wanted to hand over the money to the victim.
“As the victim was about to open the bag, Ibeaji grabbed him from behind, while one of the boys hit the victim with an axe in the back of his head. Ibeaji then dragged Adunukwe into the toilet, strangled him and with the assistance of his boys, who held the victim down, injected him twice with a lethal substance. Convinced that the deed had been done, Ibeaji gave directives to the boys to evacuate the corpse and throw it away.”
One of the suspects, Cletus, said Igwe, who was a former worker in the hotel where the crime was perpetrated, directed them to take the corpse through the back door.
He said, “It was Igwe, who directed us, and we moved the body through the back door of the hotel and through the laundry area. We chopped the body between 7pm and 8pm and it was within that same hour that we dumped him in the bush as the hotel is not far away from where the corpse was dumped.
“Ibeaji was the person, who hit him, before he asked us to go and kill him.”
The other suspects confirmed their involvement in the crime.
Iliyasu said Ibeaji was also involved in the murder of a commissioner in Bayelsa State, one Depologa, whose remains were found on the Abuja Expressway.
He said Ibeaji’s second victim was one Jude Efulue, a property developer in Abuja, who swam into Ibeaji’s net and was held captive in an apartment and forced to sign a prepared document transferring the ownership of the victim’s property to him.
“His plan was to kill Efulue after sweeping his account clean. But with the help of neighbours, who called the police, Bob and his boys were apprehended and charged accordingly. It was at the Kuje Prison, where Cletus was also serving a jail term, that he and Ibeaji met and they reunited after leaving the prison to execute this dastardly act,” Iliyasu added.
The AIG said Ibeaji was currently undergoing trial at the Apo High Court in Abuja for two similar cases.
The Punch
A gas-laden tanker overturned on a Lagos road on Monday after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
The General Manager (GM), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who made this known in a statement on Monday in Lagos, said that timely response of traffic officials, however, averted an explosion at the scene.
He said the incident occurred along the main carriageway at Chisco, before the traffic light inward Victoria Island area.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident occurred when the driver of the truck, fully loaded with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cylinders, lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn on the busy expressway.
“Given the highly volatile nature of the product, the situation posed an immediate and severe threat to human life and property, necessitating urgent technical intervention,” he said.
The GM said that LASTMA personnel swiftly cordoned off the affected area upon arriving at the scene, securing both the overturned vehicle and the CNG tanks.
According to him, this was done to prevent any leakage or ignition that could have triggered an explosive conflagration.
Bakare-Oki said that the LASTMA Rescue and Emergency Unit immediately activated a multi-agency emergency protocol, summoning key responders.
“The responders are the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Through this rapid inter-agency collaboration, the imminent threat was expertly contained, and normalcy was swiftly restored,” he said.
Bakare-Oki, who was physically present at the scene, lauded the prompt and disciplined conduct of his officers and partner agencies.
He disclosed that the upturned gas tanker was professionally recovered, using state-of-the-art heavy-duty cranes and recovery equipment mobilised to the site.
“Their immediate action in securing the environment prevented what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.
“We ensured that the recovery process was conducted under the highest safety protocols to eliminate any residual risk,” he said.
He further revealed that additional LASTMA personnel were deployed to the area to manage the resultant traffic congestion.
He added that the team guaranteed the safety of commuters navigating through the Victoria Island corridor.
“While the main carriageway was closed temporarily from Chisco inward Victoria Island, motorists were immediately diverted through the new coastal road and reconnected via Bar Beach.
“This ensured the continuity of vehicular movement till the recovery operation was safely concluded and the road reopened to normal traffic,” he said.
The GM emphasised that the incident underscored the critical importance of adherence to road safety regulations, especially among truck drivers and operators of articulated vehicles transporting flammable and hazardous materials.
He admonished such operators to strictly observe prescribed speed limits, maintain their vehicles in sound mechanical condition, and exercise heightened vigilance, particularly under wet weather conditions.
Leading communications network, Globacom, has registered another milestone with its ongoing investment in its people as the SheGlows Summit 2025 convened women from every division at the Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Centre, Lagos.
This year’s theme, “Wellness for Growth,” underscored a simple truth: wellbeing is not separate from performance-it powers it.
From Mrs Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi’s reflections on rest, to Bunmi George’s insights on consistency, and Ifeoma Williams’s masterclass on confidence, every session linked personal wellness to leadership readiness.
The summit’s success mirrored Globacom’s broader commitment to a management culture that continually fosters spaces where women can learn, lead, and lift others.
While the spotlight shone on the female workforce, the quiet endorsement from senior leadership made clear that this vision starts at the top and ripples throughout the organisation.
Participants left with renewed clarity and community spirit, a testament that when companies nurture wellness, they unlock growth that lasts.
They lauded the experience as inspiring and transformative. Ifeyinwa Okoli, Team Lead, Customer Care, said, “The event was beyond my expectations; each speaker delivered her message beautifully, and I’ve taken so much home.”
Esther Ohiomoba from Enterprise Business added, “It touched my core. My biggest takeaway is to let my brilliance serve, not intimidate. I’d love to do this again and again.”
By Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
“Leadership is the sacred stewardship of the groan—the courage to lean into the tension of today to midwife the glory of tomorrow for people, corporations, and nations” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
Introduction: The Universal Sound of Growth
If you have ever led anything—a team, a project, a family, a company, or even a personal dream—you are intimately familiar with the sound. It is not a scream of terror, nor a shout of victory. It is something deeper, more primordial. It is the groan.
It is the late-night sigh over a spreadsheet that refuses to balance. It is the fervent debate in a boardroom about a risky new direction. It is the quiet frustration of a community leader facing systemic injustice. It is the personal cost of upholding integrity when compromise would be easier.
For too long, we have mislabeled this groan as failure, burnout, or a sign to quit. But what if we have it all wrong? What if the groan is not the signal of an ending, but the essential, non-negotiable birth pang of a new beginning?
This profound leadership pattern is revealed in the ancient text of Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
This passage reframes our struggle. The “groan” is the present suffering; the “glory” is the future revealed. The space between them is where true leadership lives. This is not a passive hope, but an active, gritty, and strategic journey of midwifing possibility into reality for people, corporations, and nations—all as an act of stewardship to God Almighty.
Part 1: Deconstructing “The Groan” – The Leadership Crucible
The groan is the pressure that forms the pearl. It is the tension between vision and current reality. For a leader, ignoring the groan is negligence; understanding it is wisdom; and navigating it is mastery.
A. The Personal Groan: The Weight of the Self
Before we lead others, we must lead ourselves, and this is where the first groans are heard.
· The Groan of Discipline: The 5 a.m. alarm to invest in personal development when comfort beckons.
· The Groan of Failure: The sting of a missed opportunity or a flawed decision that becomes the crucible of resilience.
· The Groan of Loneliness: The burden of confidential decisions that cannot be shared, borne alone in the quiet of one’s office.
· The Glory: This personal groan forges character, wisdom, and resilience. The leader emerges not just smarter, but wiser; not just skilled, but grounded. They become a source of stability for others because they have been refined in their own fire.
B. The Organizational Groan: The Birth Pangs of Innovation
Corporations and institutions do not transform through comfort. They evolve through necessary, and often painful, strain.
· The Groan of Innovation: The financial drain and uncertainty of R&D, where countless ideas die so that one might change the world.
· The Groan of Restructuring: The difficult, people-centric process of dismantling outdated systems to build more agile, future-proof models.
· The Groan of Cultural Shift: The exhausting, long-term work of rooting out toxicity and fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and empowerment.
· The Glory: This organizational groan yields market leadership, sustainable profitability, and a legacy brand. The company transitions from being a mere participant in the market to a shaper of it, creating products and cultures that define excellence.
C. The Societal Groan: The Labor Pains of a Nation
The most complex groans are those of nations and communities. They are collective, historic, and deeply felt.
· The Groan of Justice: The relentless, multi-generational struggle against corruption, inequality, and systemic oppression.
· The Groan of Reform: The short-term political and economic pain endured for long-term national benefit—be it in education, infrastructure, or economic policy.
· The Groan of Unity: The challenging work of forging a common identity and shared purpose out of diverse, and often divided, peoples.
· The Glory: This societal groan builds prosperous, just, and stable nations. It results in a legacy of peace, a high quality of life, and a society where human potential can flourish for generations to come.
Part 2: The Global Landscape: Groans Heard Around the World
This “Groan to Glory” framework is not theoretical; it is actively unfolding on the global stage.
· Local Context (Example: A Community Leader): A small-town mayor groans under the weight of a dying main street and youth exodus. The “glory” is not achieved by a single grant, but through the grueling work of rallying local businesses, attracting new investment, and revitalizing community pride—a glory seen in a thriving, vibrant town a decade later.
· Corporate Context (Example: The Tech Industry): The entire tech sector is in a prolonged “groan” over ethical AI. The tension between breakneck innovation and societal safety is immense. The “glory” will belong to the leaders and corporations who navigate this groan successfully, establishing a new paradigm for responsible and transformative technology.
· Global Context (Example: The Energy Transition): Nations worldwide are groaning through the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This involves economic disruption, geopolitical shifts, and technological hurdles. The “glory” will be a sustainable planet, energy independence, and new frontiers of economic opportunity for those nations that lead the way.
Part 3: The Leader as a Midwife of Glory: A Sacred Stewardship
Our role as leaders in every sector is not to avoid the groan, but to lean into it with purpose and perspective. We are, in the most sacred sense, midwives of possibilities.
Our core function is to “deliver possibilities.” This means:
1. Seeing the Potential: Visioneering the “glory” hidden within the present struggle.
2. Creating the Space: Building cultures and systems where the groan is acknowledged as part of the process, not a sign of failure.
3. Providing the Resources: Equipping our people and our organizations with the tools, trust, and time to persevere.
4. Guiding the Process: Steering the tension with wisdom, making the tough calls, and protecting the vision from short-sighted compromises.
And all of this is “to the glory of God Almighty.”
This is the ultimate “Why” that redefines success. When we lead with this mindset:
· Our ambition is purified. Success is no longer about our ego but about our stewardship. The thriving corporation becomes a testament to God’s principles of order, creativity, and excellence.
· Our endurance is fortified. Knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58) provides a resilience that worldly motivation cannot match.
· Our legacy is eternal. The “glory” we help reveal—a transformed life, a righteous organization, and a flourishing nation—becomes part of a story far bigger than our own.
Conclusion: Embracing the Sacred Tension
The journey from groan to glory is not a straight line. It is a cycle, a spiral of continuous growth and challenge. The glory of one achievement simply reveals the next horizon, and with it, a new, necessary groan.
Do not despise the groan. Do not fear it. Name it. Honor it. Lead through it.
For it is in this sacred tension that true leadership is forged. It is here that we partner with the Divine in the holy work of unlocking the God-given possibilities buried within our people, our organizations, and our nations.
The world is waiting for leaders who are not afraid to groan, for they are the only ones who will ever truly see the glory.
Let us lead accordingly.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a Recipient of the Nigerian Role Models Award (2024), and a Distinguished Ambassador For World Peace (AMBP-UN). He has also gained inclusion in the prestigious compendium, “Nigeria @65: Leaders of Distinction”.
