Police Arrest Man Who Dug Grave In His Room And Lured His Neighbour’s Son For Rituals

Security operatives attached to the Imo State Police Command have apprehended one Francis Chukwura, for allegedly attempting to use his neighbor’s son for ritual in Ubommiri, Mbaitoli LGA of the state.

The State Police spokesperson, CSP Michael Abattam revealed in a statement that on January 6, the accused lured his neighbor’s 14-year-old son, Henry Ekwos to his room in the guise of helping to install WhatsApp application on his phone.

However, when the boy entered the room and sighted the grave he took to his heels. Chukwura pursued him with a machete, gave him some cuts on his head and body while he screamed for help. Luckily, passers-by heard his cry and came to his rescue. The police were alerted, when they arrived at the scene they disarmed the suspect and took him into custody.

The statement reads: “On interrogation, the suspect, a dismissed staff of Federal Medical Center (FMC) and presently has no visible means of livelihood, in his statement could not give a reasonable reason why he attempted to kill the victim and for what purpose. On the excavated grave-size pit he dug in his room, he said the wife was aware and it was done to hurt his landlord for giving him quit notice.

“Consequent upon the suspect’s claim, the wife, Ezinne Anyanwu ‘f’ aged 32 years, a native of Ikeduru in Ikeduru LGA of Imo State, was arrested. On interrogation, she claimed to have three children for the suspect out of wedlock. That the landlord did not give them quit notice, but they are owing rent for some months. She claimed, he is fond of beating her and saying that, “she is bad luck to him.”

“She further stated that, on the 5th of January, 2022, she came back in the night from her hawking business, surprised to see the already dug grave-size pit in their room. And when she asked him about it, he said, “he is looking for the dollars he buried in the ground.

“That she became suspicious and afraid, that he might have planned to use one of her children for ritual hence, she held on to her three children without sleeping till the next day. In the morning of January 6, he drove her and their children away. She left for her brother’s house and narrated her ordeal to him. That it was in the evening of that day, she received a phone call that, her husband has been arrested for attempting to kill a young boy for money ritual .

“The victim is in the intensive care unit of a reputable government hospital and he is responding to treatment. However, investigation is ongoing and as soon as it is concluded, the suspect will be charged to court.”