Police: Hotel Manager, Staff Suspected in Guest’s Mysterious Death

Police in Delta State, Nigeria, have accused a hotel manager and two others of allegedly stabbing a guest, Sunday Ogofotha, to death.

How It Happened

According to the state police spokesperson, Bright Edafe, the incident occurred on March 21 in Owhelogbo, a village in the Isoko North Local Government Area.

Mr. Ogofotha was staying at Century Hotel when two unidentified men arrived and asked to see him. They reportedly offered the manager, Godwin, ₦5 million to grant them access to his room. Tempted by the money, Godwin allowed them in without questioning their identity or their reason for meeting the guest.

Later, Godwin saw only one of the men leaving. He noticed that Mr. Ogofotha’s door was locked from the outside with a padlock. When he forced the door open, he found the guest dead but did not report it.

Family Raises Alarm

Before his death, Mr. Ogofotha had called his wife to inform her about his stay at the hotel. When she could no longer reach him, she alerted family members. When they arrived at the hotel to check on him, Godwin claimed the guest had already checked out. However, after his arrest, he confessed.

The police later arrested three others, including the two men suspected of the murder.

Manager Speaks

In a recorded confession, Godwin said the men told him they needed to “collect something” from Mr. Ogofotha’s room. They promised to pay him ₦5 million after completing their business. When he checked the room an hour later and saw the guest dead, he panicked and ran away.

How He Was Caught

After fleeing, Godwin’s uncle, the hotel owner, reported the incident to local vigilantes. The next morning, as Godwin tried to gather information about the situation, community members and vigilantes captured him.

During interrogation, he admitted knowing the two suspects since December. He revealed they had previously brought a female PoS operator to the hotel and later gifted him ₦300,000. He has not seen the woman since.

Hotel Burned Down

Following the incident, some angry residents set fire to the hotel. Police did not disclose who was responsible for the arson or when it occurred.

Authorities continue to investigate, and all suspects remain in custody as legal proceedings begin.