The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four individuals in connection with the brutal killing of a 74-year-old woman in Abagana, Dunukofia Local Government Area. The tragic incident, which occurred on Saturday, saw the elderly woman, who was wheelchair-bound, burned to death under suspicious circumstances.
The police apprehended four suspects, including 21-year-old Chinenye Ekwenugo, who reportedly confessed that her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe, and three others were involved in the horrific act. According to the police, Igwe is still at large, and efforts to apprehend him are ongoing.
Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the arrests in a statement, revealing that the suspects had procured a coffin and buried the victim immediately following the attack. The suspects include Uzochukwu Okeke, 47, Fidel Anayo, 60, and Ikenna Anene, 54, all of whom are from Abagana.
“The suspects were arrested for allegedly setting the victim ablaze, and during interrogation, Chinenye Ekwenugo admitted that her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe, was the mastermind behind the crime,” Ikenga said. He further confirmed that the body of the victim has been deposited in the morgue for autopsy and further investigation.
The motive behind the crime is suspected to be related to ritual purposes, though investigations are still ongoing. The police commissioner, Nnaghe Obono Itam, condemned the act and called for calm among the public. He also ordered the case be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation.
The community remains shaken by the gruesome killing, and authorities have assured the public that justice will be served.
