Native Doctor Arrested As Man Dies Inside Coffin During Fortification Ritual

The Enugu State Police Command has apprehended a native doctor, Enuwa Odugu, alongside Uwakwe Eze, over the alleged conspiracy and death of Chikwado Eze, who is reportedly Uwakwe’s son.

According to a statement released by the police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, Chikwado’s death occurred after his father took him to Odugu’s shrine for a ritual aimed at providing spiritual protection.

The ritual reportedly involved placing the young man inside a coffin as part of the process. However, Chikwado lost his life during the ritual. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was confirmed dead by the attending doctor. His body has since been deposited in a mortuary, pending an autopsy.

The police revealed that the native doctor confessed to performing the ritual, admitting that he had conducted similar ceremonies in the past. He attributed Chikwado’s death to a failure to follow certain ritual instructions he had given in advance.

Investigations are ongoing, and the suspects are expected to be charged in court upon the conclusion of the inquiry, according to the police command.

In a separate incident, the Enugu State Police Command reported the arrest of two individuals: 24-year-old Okoro C Kingsley and 18-year-old Ogbonna Chiedozi over alleged accused conspiracy to murder 52-year-old Mrs. Patience Charles.

Police disclosed that Kingsley, a former security guard for Mrs. Charles in 2021, held a personal grudge against her. Both suspects allegedly confessed to strangling her in her residence.

Their arrests were made through intelligence efforts, and they have since been arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre.