The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 67-year-old Uwakwe Eze for conspiring with 48-year-old native doctor Enuwa Odugu to murder Odugu’s son, Chikwado Celestine Eze.
Last week, social media buzzed with reports of Chikwado’s tragic death. The 26-year-old had received a visa to travel abroad and sought fortification at the native doctor’s shrine before his journey.
According to a statement from the command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the native doctor has confessed to the crime, claiming that the boy died due to his failure to follow the ritual’s guidelines.
“The Enugu State Police Command is making the public aware of the recent occurrence and handling of two separate murder cases. In the first case, a native doctor, one Enuwa Odugu “m”, aged 48, and Uwakwe Eze “m”, aged 67, were arrested for conspiracy and murder of Eze’s 26-year-old son, one Chikwado Celestine Eze.
“The incident is alleged to have occurred when Uwakwe Eze took his son to the native doctor’s shrine for rituals intended to fortify him with charms.
“However, during the ritual, the deceased was buried in a coffin but he unfortunately died in the process. He was rushed to the hospital and confirmed dead by the attending doctor, and his body deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
“The native doctor confessed to the crime and the previous performance of such rituals, attributing the death of the victim to his non-adherence to certain ritualistic rules he earlier prescribed for him.”
Ndukwe added that “the case is under investigation, and the suspects will be arraigned in court once investigations are concluded.”