Police Arrest Suspects Over Alleged Ritual Killings in Enugu

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of suspects linked to two separate murder incidents in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu, saying both incidents occurred on Friday, May 15, in different communities within the council area.

According to him, operatives attached to the Igbo-Etiti Division responded at about 3:10 p.m. to reports that a 40-year-old man, Onyebuchi Anikwe, allegedly attacked and killed his 60-year-old mother, Felicia Anikwe, with a cutlass in Nkporogwu Ukehe Community.

Ndukwe said police officers recovered the remains of the deceased and moved them to a hospital, where doctors confirmed her dead before the body was deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

He added that the suspect was rescued from an angry mob that had severely assaulted him before he was rearrested and taken to hospital for treatment, while investigations into the incident continue.

In a separate incident reported about eight minutes later, operatives of the Command’s Distress Response Squad responded to a distress call from Agu-Ekwegbe Community, also in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area.

Ndukwe said the report alleged that Joshua Eze attacked and killed his sister, Nwabuche Eze, and her young daughter, Favour Eze.

“The victims’ remains were recovered and taken to hospital, where doctors confirmed them dead before their corpses were deposited in the mortuary,” he stated.

He said the suspect was also rescued from an angry mob in critical condition but later died in hospital while receiving treatment.

According to the police spokesperson, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly buried the victims in a shallow grave alongside a dead white cock, raising suspicions of possible ritual motives.

Reacting to the incidents, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, condemned the killings, describing them as barbaric and unacceptable.

The police commissioner directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to commence comprehensive investigations into both cases and urged residents to avoid jungle justice by reporting criminal suspects to lawful authorities for proper action.