Four arrested after 74-year-old Anambra woman burned to death

The police in Anambra State have arrested four individuals in connection with the alleged ritualistic murder of a 74-year-old woman.

The incident occurred on Saturday in Abagana, Dunukofia Local Council, where the victim resided.

It is believed that the woman, who was confined to a wheelchair, was set alight by Ifeanyi Igwe, who remains at large. Four other individuals, including his 21-year-old girlfriend, Chinenye Ekwenugo, were subsequently apprehended.

The suspects reportedly procured a coffin and buried the woman to conceal the crime.

Police Public Relations Officer Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident in a statement, saying three of the arrested individuals were involved in procuring the coffin and burying the victim.

“Anambra State Police operatives serving at Abagana Divisional Police Headquarters arrested four suspects, including a 21-year-old lady, Chinenye Ekwenugo, from Ifitedunu on January 26, at approximately 9:00 am,” the statement read.

“They were arrested in connection with the burning of a 74-year-old woman in a wheelchair at Abagana. During interrogation, Chinenye confessed that her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe, who is currently at large, and three others set the victim ablaze and obtained a casket to bury her before the intervention of the security operatives.”

Police are actively pursuing the arrest of Igwe.

The deceased woman’s body has been transferred to the mortuary for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death

The other three suspects identified are Uzochukwu Okeke (47), Fidel Anayo (60), and Ikenna Anene (54), all from Abagana.

Commissioner of Police Nnaghe Obono Itam has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a thorough investigation.

In another development, operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad Enugwu Ukwu, at a security checkpoint on Umudioka-Awkuzu road by Igbariam, arrested two out of the four occupants of a white Toyota Corolla vehicle with registration number YAB 26 CB.

The incident occurred on Sunday at about 5:38 p.m.

The team also recovered one Beretta pistol, two live ammunition, and the Toyota Corolla vehicle.

Ikenga, who gave the names of the two suspects as Raphael Peverga and Saakura Teryima, aged 22 years old and from Benue State, said efforts were ongoing to arrest the other two suspects, who are currently on the run.

It was reported that the suspects alighted from the vehicle while still in motion when the operatives ordered them to park for a security search.

He assured that the command would continue to evolve strategies and improve operational positioning in the state to nip in the bud such criminal elements.