The native doctor from Inyi community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, identified as Enuwa Odugu, has claimed that the death of his client, Chikwado Eze, during a fortification ritual was due to the client’s failure to follow prescribed ritual rules.
Speaking from police custody, the 48-year-old native doctor explained that Eze was not the first client for whom he had performed such rituals. He maintained that the unfortunate incident resulted from the client’s disobedience.
Eze, who had recently secured a visa to travel abroad, died after being buried alive for one and a half hours during a fortification ritual meant to guarantee success in his business overseas.
In a statement provided by the Enugu State Police Command spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, it was confirmed that both the native doctor and Eze’s father, Uwakwe Eze, along with other accomplices, have been arrested and the matter is under investigation.
The police statement further revealed that the native doctor had confessed to the crime, adding that another arrest had been made in connection with a separate murder case.
In the first case, Uwakwe Eze allegedly brought his 26-year-old son, Chikwado Celestine Eze, to the native doctor’s shrine for rituals to fortify him with charms. During the ritual, Chikwado was buried in a coffin but tragically died in the process. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his body has been deposited in a mortuary pending an autopsy.
The police reported that the native doctor admitted to performing such rituals in the past but attributed Chikwado’s death to his failure to adhere to certain ritualistic rules.
In the second case, the police arrested 24-year-old Kingsley Okoro and his accomplice, 18-year-old Samuel Ogbonna, for conspiring and murdering 52-year-old Patience Nkem Charles. Kingsley, a former security guard of the victim in 2021, confessed that a long-standing grudge motivated the crime.
The suspects strangled the victim in her home, and through police intelligence, they were apprehended. Both have been arraigned in court and remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre.
The police emphasized that these cases highlight the dangers of personal grievances and harmful traditional practices, with investigations ongoing and prosecutions to follow.