The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed two separate gruesome murder incidents that occurred on 15th May 2026 in different communities within Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, indicated that the incidents involved the alleged murder of a mother by her son, and the alleged murder of a woman and her child by the woman’s brother.
Ndukwe said that in the first incident, Police Operatives attached to the Igbo-Etiti Division, at about 3:10 p.m., responded to a report alleging that one Anikwe Onyebuchi (male, aged about 40) “used a cutlass to behead and murder his 60-year-old mother, Anikwe Felicia, at Nkporogwu Ukehe Community. The corpse and severed head of the deceased were recovered and taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed her death, after which the remains were deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy”.
He said that the suspect was subsequently rescued and rearrested from an angry mob that had severely beaten him and was taken to the hospital for medical treatment, adding that a full-scale investigation into the incident has commenced.
The statement further read: “In a separate incident reported the same day at about 3:18 p.m., operatives of the Command’s Distress Response Squad stationed at Ekwegbe Junction along the Ugwuagu/Opi/Nsukka Road responded to a distress call alleging that one Joshua Eze (male) similarly used a cutlass to sever the heads of his sister, Nwabuche Eze, and her little daughter, Favour Eze, at Agu-Ekwegbe Community in the same Igbo-Etiti LGA. The remains of the deceased victims were recovered and taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed them dead, after which the corpses were deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
“The suspect was also rescued from an angry mob in a critical condition and taken to the hospital, where doctors later confirmed him dead. His corpse was equally deposited in the mortuary. Preliminary investigations further revealed that after allegedly murdering the victims, he buried their remains in a shallow grave alongside a dead white cock, suggesting possible ritual intentions.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, psc, mspsp, has condemned the barbaric acts, ordering the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State CID to immediately commence comprehensive investigations to ascertain the circumstances surrounding both incidents and ensure necessary investigative actions.
“He urges members of the public to refrain from taking the law into their hands by resorting to jungle justice, regardless of the provocation, and instead promptly report criminal suspects to the Police or other lawful authorities for appropriate action.”
