The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspects, including a 21-year-old woman, for allegedly burning a 74-year-old wheelchair-bound woman to death in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
Reports indicate that the suspects, after committing the heinous act, procured a casket and were about to bury the victim’s charred remains when security operatives intervened.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, with police operatives recovering the victim’s burnt remains, her wheelchair, and the casket on Sunday.
This was confirmed by the spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement issued on Sunday.
Ikenga said, “The Anambra State Police operatives serving at Abagana Divisional Police Headquarters on 26/1/2024 at about 9 a.m. arrested four suspects, including a 21-year-old lady, Chinenye Ekwenugo, from Ifitedunu, over the burning of a 74-year-old woman in a wheelchair at Abagana.
“The three other suspects are Uzochukwu Okeke (47), Fidel Anayo (60), and Ikenna Anene (54), all from Abagana.
“The operatives also recovered the burnt remains of the deceased, her wheelchair, and a casket. During interrogation, the suspect Chinenye confessed that her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe, who is currently at large, and three others set the victim ablaze and arranged a casket to bury her before the police intervened.”
Ikenga further disclosed that efforts are underway to apprehend the prime suspect, Ifeanyi Igwe, who is currently on the run. The body of the deceased has been deposited at the morgue for autopsy, while an investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the crime.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, has called for calm and ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation. Further updates will be provided,” Ikenga stated.
In a separate development, operatives of the Anti-Cult Unit of the Anambra State Police Command arrested a suspected cultist, Maduka Okoye, aged 25, at Enugwu Ukwu on Saturday following credible intelligence.
Ikenga revealed that the operatives recovered three expended cartridges from a shooting scene in Ezichike Community, Abagana.
“The suspect, Maduka Okoye, confessed to being a member of the ‘Baggars Confraternity’ and admitted he was drinking at a beer parlour with a friend when they came under attack by members of the rival ‘Axe Men Confraternity.’
“Police swiftly restored calm in the area, and Okoye is currently assisting the operatives in identifying and apprehending members of both rival cult groups, especially those directly involved in the shooting,” Ikenga added.
The police assured residents of Anambra State of their continued commitment to maintaining law and order while urging citizens to provide useful information to aid ongoing investigations.
