The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with the gruesome killing of a 74-year-old woman in Ifitedunu. The elderly woman, who was wheelchair-bound, was reportedly set ablaze in a horrifying act that has left the community in shock.
The suspects include a 21-year-old woman, Chinyere Ekwenugo, who is alleged to have conspired with others, including her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe, currently on the run, to commit the heinous crime.
Police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement, revealed that the incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. He disclosed that during interrogation, Ekwenugo admitted that her boyfriend and three others were responsible for setting the victim ablaze.
“They had even brought a casket to bury her before police operatives intervened,” Ikenga stated.
The other suspects arrested in connection with the crime are Uzochukwu Okeke, 47; Fidel Anayo, 60; and Ikenna Anene, 54, all from the Abagana area.
Police operatives recovered the charred remains of the deceased, her wheelchair, and the casket intended for her burial. The body has been deposited in a morgue for autopsy as investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death continue.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Nnaghe Itam, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a comprehensive probe. He urged the community to remain calm as efforts are underway to arrest the fleeing suspect, Ifeanyi Igwe.
In a related development, police operatives from the anti-cult unit arrested a 25-year-old man, Maduka Okoye, following a shooting incident in the Ezichike community of Abagana. The suspect, identified as a member of the Baggars Confraternity, was apprehended with three expended cartridges from a pump-action gun.
During interrogation, Okoye confessed that the attack was carried out by members of a rival cult group, the Axe Men Confraternity, while he was at a beer parlour with friends. He is currently assisting the police in tracking down other gang members involved in the incident.
The Commissioner of Police reassured residents of the command’s commitment to restoring peace and ensuring justice for the victims of both the murder and the cult-related violence. He urged members of the public to provide credible information to aid ongoing investigations.
