How a Visit to a Herbalist Ended in Tragedy: The Story of Friday Liberty and His Killer

What started as a routine visit to a familiar herbalist turned fatal for 22-year-old Friday Liberty, whose trust in a man he had long considered a spiritual helper ultimately led to his gruesome death.

According to a statement by Delta State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, Liberty had been a regular client of Amechi Okwuokenye, a 20-year-old herbalist operating from a shrine at Owa-Alidima, in Ika North East Local Government Area. Their relationship, which had reportedly been built on consultations for “spiritual assistance,” took a sinister turn on September 30, 2025, when Liberty visited the shrine and never returned home.

When Liberty failed to return, his family launched a frantic search. His girlfriend provided a crucial clue, recalling that she had overheard a conversation linking Liberty’s visit to a certain herbalist. Acting on that tip, the family contacted Amechi, who denied seeing Liberty but promised to conduct “spiritual incantations” to help bring him back.

For days, the family waited, spending money on the herbalist’s so-called spiritual services. But as hope faded, they petitioned the Agbor Area Command on October 14, 2025, seeking police intervention.

Acting on the complaint, police detectives initiated an intelligence-driven investigation. Their findings soon revealed that the last person Liberty had been in contact with before his disappearance was the same herbalist who had denied knowing his whereabouts.

Detectives placed Amechi’s shrine under surveillance. Days later, on October 23, 2025, the herbalist was arrested, found hiding inside a refrigerator at his shrine.

During interrogation, the herbalist confessed to the horrifying crime. He revealed that he and his stepbrother, Smart Okwuokenye, aged 26, had conspired to kidnap Liberty and the motorcycle rider, Isioma Ugbeje, who had conveyed him to the shrine.

Amechi told investigators that Liberty was a long-time client who frequently sought his help to “hypnotize” people for easy financial gains , a dubious spiritual practice he described as “tying clients.”

But greed soon took over. According to the confession, Smart, in need of money, convinced his younger brother to lure one of his clients to the shrine for ransom. Unfortunately, Liberty became their target.

They abducted both Liberty and the Okada rider, demanding ₦10 million from Liberty’s family. When the ransom failed, the suspects killed both men and dumped their bodies in a soakaway pit near the shrine.

Police Response and Justice Promise

Police have since recovered the decomposed bodies of the victims, which have been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy. Both suspects are now in custody.

Meanwhile, The Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, has assured the public that the Command is determined to ensure justice is served.

The tragic story of Friday Liberty underscores the growing dangers of blind trust in self-proclaimed spiritualists. What was once a relationship built on belief and familiarity ended in betrayal and death — a chilling reminder of how quickly faith in the wrong person can turn fatal.