A hotel manager in Delta State has confessed to killing a 22-year-old Point-of-Sale (PoS) operator, Onoriode Bethel, whose sudden disappearance in December 2024 had sparked widespread concern.
The suspect, known as Iboirode, is the manager of Century Home Hotel in Owehlogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area.
He admitted to inviting Bethel to the hotel under the pretense of resolving a money-related issue. Once she arrived, he took her life and secretly buried her within the hotel’s compound.
The development was confirmed on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, by the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe.
He revealed that the suspect had lured the young woman to the hotel before committing the crime and concealing her remains on the premises.
According to the police, the motive behind the killing was linked to an earlier disagreement.
Bethel had reportedly accused the manager of scamming her out of ₦10,000 using a fraudulent bank alert.
Although the money was recovered, the suspect allegedly felt embarrassed and retaliated violently.
Adding to the disturbing account, the suspect’s wife admitted she was aware of what had happened.
She recounted that her husband had invited Bethel over one evening and later informed her around midnight that he had killed the girl. She said she did not witness the act directly.
Investigators also uncovered that the suspect used the victim’s phone to call her father, demanding ransom.
He reportedly accessed her PoS machine as well, extracting money after coercing her into giving up her password before the murder.
“After killing her, he contacted her father with her phone to demand ransom and also used her PoS terminal to withdraw funds,” SP Edafe stated.
He confirmed that Bethel’s body has been recovered.
Her disappearance, initially reported on December 13, 2024, gained renewed attention following the arrest of Iboirode and several hotel workers in March 2025, during an investigation into the separate killing of a hotel guest, Pastor Sunday Ogofohta.
The police have pledged to continue their investigation and ensure that justice is served in the case.
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