Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested 31-year-old Joshua Osaigbovo for allegedly murdering 21-year-old Osato Festus Edogiaweria in Benin City.
The operatives also exhumed the remains of the victim from a shallow grave where the suspect had allegedly buried her in a bush near his residence in Iyanomon community, located in the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the state.
This was revealed in a statement issued on Saturday in Benin City by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Moses Yamu.
Yamu stated that the suspect was apprehended by operatives of the Family Unit following a thorough investigation and the use of technical intelligence.
He explained that the arrest stemmed from a missing person report filed on April 25, 2025, at the Aduwawa Division by Mrs. Ojo, who reported that her 21-year-old daughter, Osato Festus Edogiaweria, had left home on April 20, 2025, with a friend and had not been seen or heard from since.
“The case was subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) for further investigation,” he added.
“Demonstrating the Command’s commitment to eradicating crime and criminality in the state, operatives of the Family Unit, through diligent investigation and the application of technical intelligence, arrested 31-year-old Joshua Osaigbovo, a resident of Iyanomon community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, in connection with the incident on June 18, 2025,” Yamu stated.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to inviting Osato Festus (now deceased) to his residence on April 27, 2025. He claimed that an altercation ensued during her visit, which escalated into a physical confrontation. In the process, the victim allegedly fell, struck her head on the ground, and died.
He further confessed to transporting the deceased’s body in a wheelbarrow to a nearby bush, where he dug a shallow grave and buried her just a few meters from his residence.
“The suspect, on June 20, 2025, led operatives of the Command to the shallow grave in Iyanomon community, where the remains of the victim were exhumed in line with all necessary procedures,” he stated.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer also revealed that the deceased’s phone was recovered from the suspect.He added that the suspect would be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
