Nigeria, May 12 -- A Superintendent of Police, Samuel Ezeugo, and a civil servant, Kufre Effiong, have explained their links to Frank Akpan, the suspected killer of the slain job-seeker, Iniubong Umoren.

According to records obtained from his mobile network provider published Monday by Newswire, Mr Akpan, shortly before his arrest, had telephone conversations with Messrs Ezeugo and Effiong, a revelation that has raised suspicion of conspiracy.

Mr Ezeugo heads the police division that supervised the arrest of Mr Akpan while Mr Effiong, a civil servant at the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta, is a close relation of the suspect.

However, in separate interviews, both men explained to this newspaper that they were only in talks with the culp...