HORROR IN ENUGU: Son beheads mother as another man kills sister, child in separate ritual-linked attacks

Crime Diary

ENUGU, Nigeria (NPA) — The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a man accused of beheading his mother, while another suspect reportedly died after allegedly murdering and beheading his sister and her child in separate incidents in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on May 16, 2026, both gruesome incidents occurred on May 15 in different communities within the council area.

Police said operatives attached to the Igbo-Etiti Division responded at about 3:10 p.m. to reports that a 40-year-old man, identified as Anikwe Onyebuchi, allegedly used a cutlass to murder and behead his 60-year-old mother, Anikwe Felicia, at Nkporogwu Ukehe Community.

The command disclosed that the deceased’s body and severed head were recovered and taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed her dead before the remains were deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

The suspect was reportedly rescued and rearrested from an angry mob that had severely beaten him before he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Police said investigations into the incident have commenced.

In a separate but similar incident reported at about 3:18 p.m. the same day, operatives attached to 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 used a cutlass to sever the heads of his sister, identified as Nwabuche Eze, and her child.

Preliminary investigations, according to the police, revealed that after allegedly killing the victims, the suspect buried their remains in a shallow grave alongside a dead white cock, raising suspicions of possible ritual motives.

The police authorities further disclosed that the suspect later died under circumstances yet to be officially clarified.

Reacting to the incidents, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, condemned the killings, describing them as barbaric and unacceptable.

The police commissioner directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to immediately commence comprehensive investigations into both incidents to determine the circumstances surrounding the murders and ensure all necessary legal actions are taken.

He also urged residents to avoid taking laws into their own hands through jungle justice, advising members of the public to report criminal suspects to the police and other lawful authorities for proper prosecution.