Police operatives in Abia State have arrested three yet-to-be-identified persons in connection with the killing of a couple, 78-year-old Udo Jacob and his 73-year-old wife, Dorcas, in the Bende Local Government Area of the state.

The couple was beheaded by unknown assailants on Tuesday and their corpses were found in a pool of blood in their compound in Etiti Ulo, a village in Bende on Wednesday with some of their properties stolen.

The tragedy that befell the victims got the attention of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency.

He condemned the gruesome act and urged law enforcement agencies in the state to conduct a thorough investigation and apprehend the perpetrators.

The state Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, said investigations into the case had commenced, adding that three suspects had been arrested.

She said, “Upon receiving the report, the crime scene was visited and corpses were deposited at the mortuary for autopsy. Three suspects were arrested in connection with the heinous crime and are currently under interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department Umuahia.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, expressed his deep anxiety over the unfortunate incident and appealed to residents to remain calm.

He promised to ensure that the mystery behind the murder would be unravelled to ensure prompt dispensation of justice.