By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The mystery surrounding the brutal murder of Lagos-based Pastor Sunday Ogofotha at a hotel in Delta State has taken a chilling turn, as the hotel manager, Godwin Iboirode, has confessed to not only killing the clergyman but also strangling a young woman over a N10,000 transaction gone wrong.
Pastor Ogofotha had travelled from Lagos to Delta State in March to attend a relative’s burial and lodged at Century Home Hotel in Owehlogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area. His lifeless body was later found buried within the hotel premises, sparking outrage and prompting a full police investigation.
The Delta State Police Command, through its spokesperson, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed on Tuesday that significant progress has been made in the case. According to Edafe, detectives uncovered damning evidence during the interrogation of the hotel manager.
“When the pastor’s wife couldn’t reach him the following day, she alerted his family, saying her husband mentioned that he lodged at that particular hotel,” Edafe said. “But when the family visited, the hotel management denied ever seeing him. That raised suspicions and led to a police investigation.”
The investigation revealed that the pastor was murdered shortly after checking in, and his body was secretly buried. During a search of the premises, officers recovered a PoS machine that later became a vital clue to another disturbing crime.
The same PoS machine was linked to a young woman, identified simply as Bethel, who had gone missing in December 2024. Investigators discovered that she had a financial disagreement with Iboirode over a N10,000 transfer that she never received. The quarrel escalated, and Iboirode admitted he strangled her behind the hotel, dumped her body, and kept her phone.
In a chilling confession made in Pidgin English and translated by the police, Iboirode stated: “My name is Godwin Iboirode. What brought us together is about a N10,000 transaction. She went around to spoil my name, saying I scammed her. That angered me. I carried the girl into the bush. I strangled her and left her body there. I am the only one who killed her. After I killed her, I used her phone to text her father to demand ransom.”
Shockingly, police say Iboirode also used Bethel’s phone to reach out to the family of Pastor Ogofotha, attempting to extort money while concealing the pastor’s death.
The hotel owner, Joseph Ogbole, along with two other workers, had earlier been arrested in connection with the pastor’s murder. The police say investigations are still ongoing to determine the full scope of the crimes committed at the hotel.
The Delta State Police Command has vowed to ensure justice is served for both victims and their families.