Who be Ezeani wey Nigerian authorities gbab for accuse say e bury pipo alive for Enugu

Di Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) say dem don capture one suspected ritualist Onyeka Nwaobu, wey dey face accuse say e bury pipo alive for im house for Umumba Ndiagu, Enugu State, southeastern part of di kontri.
Dem catch di man wey many dey refer to as native doctor for di border between Nigeria and Benin Republic as e bin wan run comot from di kontri, according to one statement by di NIS tok-tok pesin AS Akinlabi.
Di NIS say na during one stop and search operation for di Gbaji checkpoint for Seme border, by security forces including di Nigeria police, na dia dem gbab di suspect as e dey on top bike wan cross over.
"We confam im identity using one National Identity Management Commission slip wey we find for im possession, and during interrogation," di statement tok.
Di tori of dis suspected ritualist na wetin don dey trend for social media for days now as many Nigerians express shock and anger for videos wey dey circulate wey show say dem bury pipo for inside im compound for Enugu State.
Nwaobu don deny all di accusations - e say na set up.
How evritin take start
Tori about dis suspected ritualist Onyeka Nwaobu break wen one small girl allegedly escape from im hand afta di man and im gang bin allegedly kidnap her.
Dis event according to wetin local pipo tell BBC tori pesin, happun on Monday, 26 May, 2025, for Umumba Ndiagu village, Ezeagu local goment area of Enugu State.
For one video wey don go viral on social media, di girl tok say she and her father bin go to dia farm to fetch firewood, wen di men approach dem and beg her father to help dem wit dia motorcycle wey spoil.
Dem later overpower her papa bifor dem carry her run, tie her mouth and legs.
"Dem put me for one hole for di ground and cover am wit leaves, but as I continue to dey make sound, e attract some vigilante pipo wey dey pass and dem come rescue me," di girl tok for di video.
Afta dis rescue, villagers gada for di native doctor house wit vex and set am on fire, by den di man imsef - wey im native doctor name na Ozor Ezeani - don run.
One man Ambrose Obieze, wey dey live for Umumba village tell BBC Igbo say dem see plenty ditches for di man house wia e allegedly bury pipo for inside.
Videos and pictures of inside di compound of di native doctor, and di plenty juju materials wey di villagers see wen dem go dia, don go viral on top plenty social media platforms.
Enugu State goment and police act
Govnor Peter Mba of Enugu State order di demolition of di house of di suspected ritualist, and goment bulldozers don already level di man entire compound.
Several states for di southeast region get law say any property belonging to a kidnapper, goment go destroy am and seize di land.
Also, di Enugu State police command don chook mouth for di matter, as di Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, hail di Neighbourhood Watch vigilante pipo wey rescue di kidnapped little girl and also capture three of di suspects wey bin kidnap her.
Tok-tok pesin for di police, Daniel Ndukwe, give di names of di arrested suspects and confam say dem discover di decomposing corpses of one man and one woman for di ditches wey di native doctor dig for im house.
Wetin relatives and locals tok
One family member of di suspect tell BBC say dia brother bin come back from Togo wia e bin dey, and e no tey, e start to dey build house.
"We bin tink say e don make money, but we no know say e carry juju come back wey dey demand human head," e tok.
"Wetin we know be say im na native doctor and e dey usually shoot local canon for midnight. We no know say e dey kill pipo."
Another villager also tell BBC tori pesin say di suspect na "veri bad and strong juju" e dey do.
Di villager allege say di land wia di suspect dey build im house currently na land wey e allegedly collect by force from one woman wey im husband die.
Nwaobu say di allegations no be true and add say e no be native doctor. E say na okrika e dey sell.
Who be Onyeka Nwobu?
According to wetin local pipo tell BBC, di suspect Onyeka Nwobu, na ogbonge native doctor wey pipo dey fear well-well for di area.
Im native doctor name na Ozor Ezeani but e also get nickname 'ichie million' wey mean 'chief of millions'. Dis name na sake of how e dey usually spray money for events and ceremonies for di village.
E bin dey stay for Togo bifor e come back village and tok say im na traditionalist now.
Ikechukwu Chime wey be priest of di Anglican Church for di village, tell BBC say di man follow for di youths wey come back home wit di disguise say dem wan return to di tradition and religion of dia ancestors, "but now e don clear us say na blood dem dey drink".
A history of ritual killings
Ritual killing to make money no be new tori for Nigeria, a kontri wey get large youth population, but wia unemployment and poverty rate dey veri high.
For March dis year, di Rivers State Police Command, for di south-south region, arrest one native doctor and im accomplice wey allegedly kill two seven-year old girls from di same family for ritual purpose.
Also, for January 2023, Police for Ogun State arrest one herbalist and five odas wey allegedly kidnap, kill and sell body parts of one 26 years old woman for Ijebu Ode area of di state.
For March of di same 2023, one magistrate court for Ekiti State remand three pipo for prison sake of alleged kidnapping and killing of one 82-year-old man, Michael Obasuyi, for ritual purposes.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Reuters

10 hours ago

• Reuters

Nigerian Navy cracks down on oil theft, arrests 76 vessels in two years

ABUJA, June 19 (Reuters) - The Nigerian Navy has arrested 76 vessels and at least 242 suspects in anti-oil theft operations, and destroyed more than 800 illegal refining sites during a two-year crackdown, it said on Thursday. Rampant oil theft from pipelines and wells has crippled Nigeria's oil industry in recent years, damaging government finances and stifling exports. Since June 2023, naval authorities have seized around 171,000 barrels of crude and millions of litres of illegally refined fuels from criminal networks, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla said at a briefing in the capital Abuja. The navy also began verifying oil cargoes loaded at Nigeria's five major export terminals in January to combat oil theft at its source, Ogalla said. The navy has acquired patrol boats, three new ships and three AW 139 Trekker helicopters. It is also building two additional seaward defence boats and will take delivery of two 76-meter offshore patrol vessels from Dearsan Shipyard in Turkey.

BBC News

11 hours ago

• BBC News

Bridget Phillipson says Kent schools to 'absolutely' get funding

The education secretary has said schools in the South East will "absolutely" get the funding required for new buildings and Phillipson and the Chancellor Rachel Reeves paid a visit to a school in Kent on Thursday to announce an additional £20bn to expand the Schools Building Programme over the next the secretary of state did not identify which schools in the South East would be joining the expanded programme, saying: "We'll work through all of that process... we want to make sure we're identifying the schools that have the greatest need."Opposition politicians in the area accused her of not understanding the pressures on schools. Wrotham School, near Sevenoaks, was selected by the previous Conservative government to join the scheme in 2021, and work on the new buildings is due to finish in teachers say funding announced by the Labour government has secured the future of the whether she could guarantee schools in the region would be part of the new programme, she replied: "Absolutely, we'll make sure that the South East gets the funding that's required in order not just to rebuild schools, but also to put money into maintenance at the schools that are already there, but need extra support too." More than 500 schools are part of the existing Schools Building Programme. The government says the funding announced on Thursday will allow the re-build of a further 250 announcement is part of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, which sets out the government's long-term plan for economic, housing and social comes after last week's Spending Review, in which the chancellor was criticised by some South East politicians for "ignoring" the region. 'Deprivation and need' The deputy leader of East Sussex County Council, Nick Bennett, said: "I don't think she got lower than Milton Keynes."I'm not sure they've really got some of the pressures around deprivation and need around health and social issues that there is in [Sussex]."Responding to criticism the South East is being neglected, Phillipson said the government wanted to see "good, strong growth right across the country".She said she wanted to see "brilliant opportunities for our children and job opportunities being created"."That's why we'll make sure that there are great new schools being rebuilt in the South East and right across England," she added.

BBC News

12 hours ago

• BBC News

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan plead not guilty to defaming Akpabio, Bello as court grant her N50 million bail

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan wey be di lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District for di National Assembly don plead not guilty to di three-count charge of defamation, wey di office of di Attorney General of di Federation sama her. Di lawmaker bin appear bifor Justice Chizoba Orji of di Federal Capital Territory High Court for di Maitama area of Abuja on Thursday. Dis three-count charge accuse Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of making false claims say di President of di Nigeria Senate, Godswill Akpabio, bin make plans wit di former Govnor of Kogi State, Yahyah Bello, to kill her. Di AGF say Akpoti-Uduaghan know say di claims na false but she make am to discredit Akpabio and Bello, and to tarnish dia image. As di matter come up for court, di court registrar read out di charges to di lawmaker and she plead not guilty to each of dem. Afta dat, counsel to di Federal Goment, David Kaswe, ask di court to remand di defendant in prison pending wen di trial go commence. Kaswe claim say im reason be say dem wey be di prosecution bin find am very difficult bifor dem fit serve di defendant wit di charges. However, di defence counsel Roland Otaru, ask di trial judge to use her discretion and grant im client bail based on di fact say she no be flight risk, she no go fit interfere wit police investigation or wit di witnesses for di case, and di law presume her innocent until proven guilty. Afta listening to di arguments, Justice Orji agree wit di defence counsel and say she go grant di defendant bail in di sum of 50 million naira and one surety. Di surety must to get landed property within di jurisdiction of di court, and e must be a pesin of integrity. She den adjourn di matter to September 23, 2025 for di trial to start. Some popular rights activists bin follow Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan come court to show am solidarity. Dem include former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili, Aisha Yesufu and others. Emmanuel Uduaghan, di husband of di embattled lawmaker also follow her come court on Thursday. BBC Pidgin bin don report say dis na di fourth court case wey involve Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan since late March dis year wen she get public quarrel against di Senate President Dis particular three-count charge na majorly about libel, two counts against Akpabio and one count against Yahaya Bello. According to di charges, Akpoti-Uduaghan allege for interview say Akpabio and Yahaya Bello bin meet for a hotel on March 14, 2025, wia dem emphasis say dem go kill her, but e no go be for Abuja rather e go be for her state Kogi. "Dat na one of di reason why I bin no go home on time. I bin delay to go home bicos I get to put some measures on ground," di charge sheet quote Akpoti-Uduaghan. Also, di senator allege, according to di charge sheet, say Akpabio and Yahaya Bello bin hold three discussions day. "Di first one na my recall, di second one na to eliminate me, and di third one na to put somebody wey go take di ticket from me if I wan contest for 2027." According to di AGF, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan know or she get reason to believe say "dis imputations go harm di reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of di 10th senate of di Federal Republic of Nigeria", and di reputation of Yahaya Adoza Bello, former Govnor of Kogi State. Di third allegation for di charge sheet na during a two-way phone interview wey Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly do with one Sandra Duru for Abuja, wia di senator bin claim say Akpabio bin use di internal organs of one girl wey her name na Umoren Iniubong, for im wife who bin dey sick for three years. Akpabio, Bello, and one oda Senator - Asuquo Ekpenyong - na some of di witnesses wey di AGF say dem go call for di matter.