The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed two separate gruesome murder incidents that occurred on Friday in different communities within the Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of the state.
Daniel Ndukwe, the spokesperson of the command, in a statement on Sunday, said the incidents involved the alleged murder of a mother by her son, and the alleged murder of a woman and her child by the woman’s brother.
Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said the operatives attached to the Igbo-Etiti Division, at about 3:10 p.m., responded to a report alleging that Anikwe Onyebuchi, 40, used a cutlass to behead and murder his 60-year-old mother, Anikwe Felicia, at Nkporogwu Ukehe Community.
He said the corpse and severed head of the deceased were recovered and taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed her death, after which the remains were deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
“The suspect was subsequently rescued and rearrested from an angry mob that had severely beaten him and was taken to the hospital for medical treatment. Full-scale investigation into the incident has commenced,” Mr Ndukwe said.
He said in a separate incident reported the same day at about 3:18 p.m., operatives of the command’s Distress Response Squad stationed at Ekwegbe Junction along the Ugwuagu/Opi/Nsukka Road responded to a distress call alleging that Joshua Eze used a cutlass to sever the heads of his sister, Nwabuche Eze, and her little daughter, Favour Eze, at Agu-Ekwegbe Community in the same Igbo-Etiti LGA.
He said the remains of the deceased victims were recovered and taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed them dead, after which the corpses were deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
“The suspect was also rescued from an angry mob in a critical condition and taken to the hospital, where doctors later confirmed him dead. His corpse was equally deposited in the mortuary.
“Preliminary investigations further revealed that after allegedly murdering the victims, he buried their remains in a shallow grave alongside a dead white cock, suggesting possible ritual intentions,” he said.
The commissioner of Police in the state, Mamman Giwa, condemned the killing and described it as “barbaric.”
Mr Giwa ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to immediately commence comprehensive investigations to ascertain the circumstances surrounding both incidents and ensure necessary investigative actions.
He urged members of the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands by resorting to jungle justice, regardless of the provocation, and instead promptly report criminal suspects to the police or other lawful authorities for appropriate action.
