A young man has died in Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State after being buried alive during a fortification ritual conducted by a native doctor.
It was learnt that the deceased, identified as Chikwado Eze, was taken to a native doctor, Enuwa Odugu by his father, Mr. Uwakwe Eze, for fortification before he travel overseas.
Chikwado had secured a visa to travel abroad and returned to his village to inform his father of the good news. However, his father insisted he must undergo a fortification ritual to ensure his success abroad.
The native doctor reportedly claimed that for the young man to be properly fortified, he needed to be buried alive for one hour and thirty minutes. Unfortunately, when Chikwado was exhumed after the stipulated time, he was found dead.
A close friend of Chikwado who begged for anonymity said, “Chikwado’s visa was ready, and he went to his village in Ugbaike, Igbo-Eze North LGA, to inform his father. His father insisted they must visit a native doctor for fortification to guarantee his success abroad
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“They met Odugu, the native doctor, who said Chikwado should be buried alive for 1 hour and 30 minutes. After that time, they exhumed him, but he was already dead”.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of Enugu police command, Daniel Ndukwe said the suspects have been arrested for alleged conspiracy and murder of 26 year old boy, Chikwado Eze.
Ndukwe disclosed that the native doctor confessed to the crime and the previous performance of such rituals, attributing the death of the victim to his non-adherence to certain ritualistic rules he earlier prescribed for him.
“A native doctor, one Enuwa Odugu “m”, aged 48, and Uwakwe Eze “m”, aged 67, were arrested for conspiracy and murder of Eze’s 26-year-old son, one Chikwado Celestine Eze.
“The incident is alleged to have occurred when Uwakwe Eze took his son to the native doctor’s shrine for rituals intended to fortify him with charms.
“However, during the ritual, the deceased was buried in a coffin but he unfortunately died in the process. He was rushed to the hospital and confirmed dead by the attending doctor, and his body deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy,” the statement reads.
He said that the case is under investigation, and the suspects will be arraigned in court once they conclude investigations.