The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended four suspects from Ifitedunu for allegedly burning a 74-year-old woman alive.
Notably, one of the suspects is a 21-year-old woman named Chinyere Ekwenugo, who reportedly conspired with others in the crime.
According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer, this tragic incident occurred around 9 am on Sunday. During police interrogation, Ekwenugo confessed that her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe, who remains at large, and three accomplices set the victim ablaze.
Furthermore, Ikenga identified the other suspects as Uzochukwu Okeke, 47; Fidel Anayo, 60; and Ikenna Anene, 54, all hailing from the Abagana area.
Additionally, police recovered the charred remains of the victim, her wheelchair, and a casket intended for burial.
Moreover, the police are actively pursuing the main suspect, Igwe, who is currently evading capture.
The deceased’s body has been sent to the morgue for an autopsy and further investigation into the cause of death.
In response to the incident, Anambra State Commissioner of Police Nnaghe Itam urged the public to remain calm and ordered the case’s immediate transfer to the homicide section for thorough investigation.
Meanwhile, the anti-cult unit of the police arrested a 25-year-old man, Maduka Okoye, in Abagana after receiving a tip-off.
During this operation, officers recovered three expended cartridges from a pump-action gun at a shooting scene in the Ezichike community.
Ikenga reported that Okoye confessed to being part of the Baggars Confraternity.
He stated, “I was in a beer parlour drinking with my friend when the Axe Men Confraternity attacked us.”
This attack could have escalated into a cult war had police not intervened promptly.
Consequently, the police have restored calm in the area. Currently, Okoye is assisting law enforcement in ongoing operations to apprehend fleeing gang members and identify those involved in the shooting.