Prison escapee linked to rape, murder of UNIBEN student arrested

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested one Michael Ezenwai, an alleged member of a syndicate that allegedly raped and murdered one Uwaila Omorzuwa, a 200-level University of Benin (UNIBEN) student, in a church in Benin City in 2020. Uwaila was allegedly raped and murdered in a church in Benin City when she […]

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested one Michael Ezenwai, an alleged member of a syndicate that allegedly raped and murdered one Uwaila Omorzuwa, a 200-level University of Benin (UNIBEN) student, in a church in Benin City in 2020.

Uwaila was allegedly raped and murdered in a church in Benin City when she went there to read in preparation for her semester examination.

The suspect, an alleged prison escapee and serial killer, was arrested in Agbor, Delta State, over the alleged killing of another woman, Christabel Egedefe, 26.

The suspect, who reportedly escaped from Oko Correctional Centre during the #EndSARS protest, was alleged to have killed Christabel when she refused to let go of her motorcycle’s key during a robbery operation; he also stole her phone.

The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said the suspect was arrested while attempting to sell a suspected stolen phone.

He said upon interrogation, the suspect claimed that he bought the phone from Libya, but in the course of questioning, the phone rang, and the caller stated that the phone belonged to her sister, Christabel Egedefe.

“Following the information, the police proceeded to the house of the said Christabel and discovered her dead in her apartment,” he said.

He said the suspect confessed to murdering the victim, Christabel Egedefe, 26, but initially lied that the deceased’s father had asked him to do it.

He said upon further interrogation, the suspect changed his statement, confessing that he was only trying to indict the victim’s father.

Edafe said the suspect later confessed that he went on a robbery operation at the victim’s house on October 23, 2025, and murdered her when she refused to let go of her motorcycle’s keys; he also made away with her mobile phones.

Edafe added that investigation also revealed that the suspect is a serial murderer and was part of the syndicate that raped and murdered Uwaila Omorzuwa, a 200-level student of UNIBEN, who was murdered in the church when she went to study in the year 2020.

“The suspect further stated that he escaped from Oko Correctional Centre during the #EndSARS 2020 jailbreak,” the spokesperson said.

He said the suspect is in custody while investigation is ongoing.