Two suspected ritualists were set ablaze by an angry mob in Ede-Oballa community, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state, yesterday, following their alleged involvement in killing and removing private parts of a little girl in the community.
It was gathered that the deceased girl, the daughter of late Igwe Philip Ugwu of Umuidu, went missing a week ago and was later discovered dead with her eyes and her private parts removed.
A source from the community, who pleaded anonymity, told our Correspondent that the little girl, Eze Nkemdirim, was found dead a day after she was declared missing.
“Nkemdirim, who was about 10 years old, was initially declared missing and the next day she was found dead with her body badly mutilated. Her eyes was plugged out, her private parts were cut off and taken away by the suspected ritualists.
“Angered by the development, the elders and youths in the community went out of their way in search of what happened to the little girl. Along the line, it was discovered that some members of the community had hands in the killing of the little girl, two people were arrested by members of the neighbourhood watch, but the angry mob overpowered them from handing them over to the police and set them ablaze,” the source said.
The source identified the two suspects as Ifeanyi Ugwu, a native doctor, and Agbo Chidera. He said that they were both from the community, stressing that they might have killed the girl and removed her body parts for money ritual.
“They confessed to the crime and pleaded for forgiveness, but the angry mob were adamant,” he said.
Meanwhile, a video of Chidera has emerged on social media, where he was seen confessing to the crime before he was set ablaze. He admitted committing the crime together with the native doctor and one other person he claimed that only the native doctor knew.
Chidera also admitted in the video that the native doctor asked him to get a little girl for him to use in preparing a charm for his client.
When contacted, the Enugu state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident and said that police had commenced investigation into the matter.
“Investigation has been launched to fish out those responsible for the alleged mobbing and setting ablaze of one Agbo Dera (m) and Ifeanyi Ugwu (m), at Ede-Oballa Nsukka, on Monday, on the allegation of the duo being responsible for the murder of one little miss Eze Nkemdirim aged 10, for ritual purposes.
“Preliminary investigation shows that the victim was initially reported missing on 28/07/2022, at about 1pm, but her decomposing body was found in a bush in the community on 02/07/2022, which led to the action of the irate mob.
“Meanwhile, members of the community have, once again, been called upon to keep supporting the police to properly investigate and set the ground for the dispensation of justice in criminal cases, rather than resort to self-help of this nature, which attracts dire legal consequences,” he said.
