Residents of Ukehe and Agu-Ekwegbe communities, in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, have been thrown into shock and mourning, following two gruesome murder incidents involving family members.
The Enugu State Police Command confirmed that the incidents occurred on May 15, 2026, and involved alleged beheadings carried out by two male suspects, reports Vanguard.
Police spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, said a 40-year-old man, Anikwe Onyebuchi, allegedly used a cutlass to behead his 60-year-old mother, Anikwe Felicia, at Nkporogwu Ukehe community.
According to him, operatives from the Igbo-Etiti Police Division responded to the incident, and recovered the corpse and severed head, and deposited the remains in a mortuary after doctors confirmed the victim dead.
Ndukwe said the suspect was rescued from an angry mob that had severely beaten him before he was taken to hospital for treatment and subsequently rearrested.
In a separate incident at Agu-Ekwegbe community, another suspect identified as Joshua Eze allegedly killed his sister, Nwabuche Eze, and her daughter, Favour Eze, with a cutlass.
Officers from the Command’s Distress Response Squad reportedly responded to a distress call, recovered the bodies and deposited them in a mortuary after confirmation of death by medical personnel.
Police said the suspect was also rescued from a mob attack in critical condition but later died in hospital.
Ndukwe disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that Joshua Eze allegedly buried the victims in a shallow grave alongside a dead white cock, raising suspicions of ritual activity.
Reacting to the incidents, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, condemned the killings, describing them as “barbaric,” and directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to carry out thorough investigations.
The police commissioner also urged residents to avoid jungle justice and report criminal suspects to security agencies for lawful prosecution.
