Police arrest 4 suspects for ‘burning 74-year-old woman to death’ in Anambra

The Anambra police command says it has arrested four suspects for reportedly burning a 74-year-old woman to death in Abagana area of the state.

A statement on Sunday by Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in the state, said one of the suspects is a 21-year old lady identified as Chinenye Ekwenugo from Ifitedunu in Dinukofia LGA of the state.

Ikenga said Ekwenugo admitted that she, along with the other suspects and her boyfriend, who is currently on the run, carried out the act.

The police spokesperson noted that the operatives also recovered the remains of the deceased, a  wheelchair, and casket.

He added that the command is making effort to arrest the other suspect, noting that the remains of the deceased has been deposited in a nearby morgue.

“The Anambra state police operatives serving at Abagana divisional Police headquarters today 26/1/2024 by 9 am arrested four suspects including a 21-year old lady Chinenye Ekwenugo from Ifitedunu over the burning of a 74 (seventy-four) years old woman in a wheelchair at Abagana,” the statement reads.

“The three other suspects include Uzochukwu Okeke ‘M’ aged 47, Fidel Anayo ‘M’ aged 60 and Ikenna Anene ‘M’ aged 54 years respectively, all from Abagana. The Operatives also recovered the burnt remains of the deceased, the wheelchair, and a casket.

“The commissioner of police CP Nnaghe Obono Itam while reacting to the report of the incident sued for calm and ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Command for a comprehensive investigation.”

In a related development, operatives of the anti-cult unit of the Enugwu Ukwu, arrested one Maduka Okoye over cult-related activities in the state on Sunday.

Ikenga said the personnel also recovered three expended cartridges of a pump action gun at a shooting scene in Ezichike community in Abagana area of the state.

“The suspect Maduka Okoye, confessed to being a member of Baggars Confraternity and said that he was in a beer parlour drinking with his friends in the area when they came under attack by members of the rival cult group identified as Axe Men Confraternity,” Ikenga said.

“Meanwhile, the Police responded swiftly and restored calm in the area. The suspect is currently assisting the police operatives in an ongoing operation for the possible arrest of the fleeing gang members and already identified members of the rival cult members, especially those actively involved in the shooting.”