The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a native doctor and a father following the death of a 26-year-old man, Chikwado Eze, during a failed fortification ritual in Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
According to reports, Chikwado, who had recently secured a visa to travel abroad, returned to his village to celebrate the news with his father, Uwakwe Eze.
However, his father insisted on performing a fortification ritual to ensure his son’s success overseas and took him to a local native doctor, identified as Enuwa Odugu.
During the ritual, Odugu allegedly claimed that Chikwado needed to be buried alive for one hour and 30 minutes as part of the fortification process. Tragically, when he was exhumed after the specified time, he was found dead.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the arrests of the native doctor and Chikwado’s father.
“A native doctor, Enuwa Odugu, aged 48, and Uwakwe Eze, aged 67, were arrested for conspiracy and the murder of Chikwado Celestine Eze,” Ndukwe said.
The police report detailed that Chikwado was buried in a coffin as part of the ritual but died during the process. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel, and his body was deposited in the mortuary for an autopsy.
The native doctor reportedly confessed to the crime and admitted to performing similar rituals in the past, blaming the victim’s death on his failure to adhere to certain ritualistic rules.
The case is under investigation, and the police have stated that the suspects will be charged in court once the investigation is completed.
