The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a native doctor and the father of a 26-year-old man, Chikwado Eze, who tragically died during a botched ritual intended to fortify him for his upcoming overseas travel.
The incident occurred in Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, within the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State last week. Chikwado had recently secured a visa to travel abroad and returned to his village to share the good news with his father, Mr. Uwakwe Eze. However, Uwakwe insisted on performing a fortification ritual to ensure his son’s success and took him to a local native doctor, Onuwa.
Enuwa Odugu, the native doctor, allegedly instructed that Chikwado be buried alive for 1 hour and 30 minutes as part of the ritual. Sadly, when Chikwado was exhumed after the specified time, he was found dead.
In a statement released late Tuesday, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrests. He stated that Enuwa Odugu, 48, and Uwakwe Eze, 67, were apprehended for conspiracy and the murder of Chikwado.
“The incident occurred when Uwakwe Eze took his son to the native doctor’s shrine for a ritual intended to fortify him with charms. However, during the ritual, the deceased was buried in a coffin and unfortunately died in the process,” Ndukwe explained.
He added that Chikwado was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his body was subsequently deposited in the mortuary for preservation and an autopsy.
The native doctor reportedly confessed to the crime and mentioned that Chikwado’s death resulted from his failure to adhere to certain ritualistic rules he had previously prescribed. The case is currently under investigation, and both suspects are expected to be arraigned in court once the investigation concludes.
