Native Doctor Guns Down Client While Testing Anti-Gun Charm

Enugu state police said they arrested a native doctor in Umuaram, Ikem, a community in the state’s Isi-Uzo local government area, for allegedly shooting dead his client in Eha-Amufu, another community in the council area.

The suspect, 23-year-old Emmanuel Odoh, allegedly killed the victim, Onunze Benedict, at a shrine while testing a gunshot protection amulet that the native doctor had prepared for the victim.

State police spokesman Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the suspect was arrested on November 16 by police officers from the Isi-Uzo Police Division Headquarters.

Ndukwe, deputy superintendent of police, said a locally made single-barreled rifle used by the native medic was recovered.

The State Criminal Investigation Department’s (SCID) Homicide Section in the state had begun a further investigation into the incident, police said.

Kidnapping and attempted murder

The police spokesman said police officers, in a separate operation, arrested five suspects for alleged conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder of a truck driver and his assistant in Umuhu, a community in the council area. Isi-Uzo from Enugu. The community shares boundaries with the Ebonyi State.

Mr. Ndukwe said the unnamed driver, along with his assistant, were driving a Sino truck, loaded with 900 sacks of cement, en route to Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where they were attacked and kidnapped on November 9 at around 3 am by suspects and others on the loose.

The suspects were armed with machetes and other weapons during the attack, he said.

He gave the suspects names including Everest Ayokalam, 48, Anayo Akakem, 33, Kelechi Iwuanyanwu, 32, Uchenna Iwuoha, 47, and Chimankpa Nnorom, 32, all men and residents of Imo state, where they were arrested.

“They were arrested in Ikeduru in Imo State on November 12, thanks to the concerted efforts of police officers serving in the Isi-Uzo Commando Police Division and its counterpart in the Imo State Command, after acting on credible information,” the police spokesman said.

He said the suspects allegedly dragged the victims into a forest, beat them, and tied them to a tree, before making off with the truck and bags of cement.

“The suspects confessed to the crime, while the truck was recovered along with 789 bags of cement from the Everest Ayokalam warehouse, the recipient of the exhibits,” Ndukwe said.

Illegal possession of firearms

Ndukwe said police also arrested six other suspected men at a building along Nsukka-Makurdi Highway, Ninth Mile, in the Udi council area, for illegal possession of firearms.

The suspects were arrested by police officers serving at the Ninth Mile Police Division Headquarters on November 24 at around 3:20 p.m.

The police spokesman identified the suspects as Stephen Anigbo, 23, Promise Iyere, 28, Charles Onoh 24, and Obinna Joseph, 19.

Others were Charles Obilor, 25, and Chibuike Ede, 24, all male.

Ndukwe said the investigation into the incident at SCID’s Anti-Theft Section revealed that three of the suspects, linked to a previously reported similar case, were planning to commit crimes before being arrested.

The police spokesperson said that, in a separate development, a combined team of police officers drawn from Awkunanaw Police Division Headquarters, Operation Restore Peace and Safer Roads Patrol, assisted by a vigilante group from the neighborhood, arrested five other suspects for alleged theft.

He gave the names of the suspects as Kasie Ani, 25, Tochukwu Igwe, 25, and Felix Maduaknam, 24.

Others were Chidera Okoye, 21, and Jennifer Nwafor, 17, the only female suspect.

“His arrest follows the team’s rapid response to a distress call alleging that the suspects blocked the road on the Garriki Axis of Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and were robbing commuters,” police said.

Ndukwe said four male suspects were initially arrested after their victims were rescued before the female suspect was later arrested for harboring one of the male suspects.

Three simulated rifles allegedly used by the suspects for criminal operations, 21 packages, clothing, mobile phones, ATM cards and other valuables belonging to his victims, were recovered from the suspects, according to police.

Accusation

The police spokesman said that while some suspects have already been prosecuted, others would be charged as soon as investigations were concluded.