Crime
Ritual murder: Protesing women shutdown Anambra Community
Commercial activities in Umunze Community in Orumba South local government area of Anambra wash shut down when over 3, 000 women took to the streets protesting the murder of a 72 year old woman Mrs Charity Okoli by three suspected suspected ritualists alleged to have been indigenes of Abakaliki in Ebonyi state.
Recall that last week that the late Charity Okoli had her breasts, finger , tongue and private part harvested while alive after the three suspected ritualists had raped her at her home .
But luck ran out for one of them who under the influence of hard drugs could not escape from security operatives but hid himself under the bed and was caught in the process.
The suspect according to police reports has already confessed to the crime adding that they are a gang of five that resides at the neighboring Ezira community before the incident but are now at large.
The protesting women with green leaves and placards also demanded for mass exit of all Abakiliki Indigenes out of Umunze town for the atrocious and condemnable killing of Mrs. Charity who was raped and murdered for alleged money making rituals.
Already, the prime suspect is cooling off his heels at the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID) of the Anambra’ State Police Command in Awka while two other are on the run.
The women took their complaints to the Umunze Area police command headquarters, the palace of His Royal Highness, Igwe Promise N. Eze, the Abilikete 11 of Umunze, and the Transition Committee Chairman of the the local government Hon Neville Uchendu as well as other relevant bodies.
They expressed bitterness over the unbearable and hostile activities of Abakiliki Indigenes in the area who according to them allegedly indulge in many crimes including charging outrageous bills for manual labour, rape of young girls and other heinous crimes.
The women further called on the authorities to wade into the dangerous and unbecoming attitude of their guests as they have outlived their usefulness and must therefore leave for peace to return in the area.
Spokesperson and President of the Women in the area, Mrs. Enekwechi Bridget said “The entire Umunze resolved to come together today for a peaceful protest because Abakiliki people resident in our community raped one of us in Ubaha village and cut off her tongue, one of her fingers, two nipples of her breasts and her private part. So, that’s why we are here to complain to the Transition Committee Chairman of the local government area so he can take our report to Awka the state capital for necessary action.”
She stated that, “We are demanding for justice and that the suspects should face the full weight of law because women are not supposed to face such torture and suffering in the hands of heartless criminal elements, Sadly, these Abakiliki people resident amongst us have been having secret meetings against us despite our hospitality towards them. They charge us as high as N5, 000 to cultivate a seed of yam for us and N200 to cut down per head of ripped oil palm and they charge us a cording to the number of heads of the oil palm nuts per tree.”
“Besides, of you hire them for work, they will not do the work but wait till it’s 3pm when they will leave the workplace and begin to demand for money for work not done even as they threaten to kill the person who fails to pay them as agreed. At times they seize farmlands belonging to our people to the extent of laying ownership of such land after planting and harvesting their crops.
The President General of the Umunze Progressives Union, Chief Hippolite Uchechukwu Olua who addressed the women commended them for their peaceful conduct and urged them to go about their protest in peace as their complaints would be given prompt attention by the police and other relevant authorities.
He told newsmen that,”Our relationship with Abakiliki people in Umunze is becoming a very bad one. It’s not favouring us anymore because the way and manner they commit crimes in Umunze that we have console for a while, is too much.”
“Of recent our wife,Mrs. Charity Okolie who was butchered while alive by Abakiliki men in a gruesome way but we said no as a community; while we have accommodated these people as our brothers from Abakiliki,they are killing our people,they are harassing our women and raping them in their farmlands.”
“They are increasing labour costs at will; they wake up every morning and change the cost of labour at their dictates but we said no. So, our women are aggrieved, they are not happy and that’s why they are protesting.”
Traditional Ruler of Umunze community Igwe Promise Eze ; the Abilikete 2 lamented that his subjects have suffered so much in the hands of the Abakaliki people who came to the town to do farm work and other jobs .
He noted that the victim died due to loss of blood which made her to be unconscious after she was rushed to the hospital in Amawbia where she later died, a development that angered everybody.
The monarch however urged the people of area to remain calm as police and leaders of the community are working round the clock to ensure that justice is done at the end of the day.
“I have told the PPO who’s closest to us here that the suspect must be charged to court for murder and he has assured me that the matter would not be swept under the carpet. I have instructed the youths to exercise restraint while awaiting the outcome of the case.”he said.
A police corporal attached to the Ajaokuta Division of the Kogi State Police Command has reportedly shot his girlfriend dead before taking his own life with his service rifle.
The incident allegedly occurred around 9 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026, leaving both the officer and the woman dead.
According to a report by Veracity News, the officer allegedly shot the woman at close range before turning the weapon on himself.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, while the motive behind the alleged killings has yet to be established.
The bodies of the deceased were reportedly evacuated to a mortuary as investigations into the incident commenced.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Kogi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Afusat, could not be reached for comment, according to the publication.
The incident is expected to be investigated to establish the circumstances leading to the deaths and determine the events that preceded the shooting.
As of the time of filing this report, no further details about the identities of the deceased or the outcome of the investigation had been provided in the original report.
Editor’s note: The incident and details in this report have not been independently verified. An official statement from the Kogi State Police Command would be needed to confirm the circumstances of the deaths.
A young woman identified as Messioma Nwaora, who was earlier reported missing, has reportedly been found dead in Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Unverified reports circulating on social media allege that her former boyfriend, identified as Chima Emmanuel and said to be from Ebonyi State, killed her after she ended their relationship. The reports further claim that he strangled her with clothing, placed her body in a bag and transported it on a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada.
The alleged confession and the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death have not been independently verified. Therefore, it cannot be conclusively established that the former boyfriend killed her.
As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Police Command had not issued an independently confirmed statement establishing the cause of death, confirming the identity of the deceased or stating whether a suspect had been arrested.
The reported death has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. Outstanding questions include where the body was recovered, how the woman died, whether Chima Emmanuel has been detained and whether investigators have obtained evidence linking him to the incident.
Further details are expected as reliable information becomes available.
A birthday party organised by popular Enugu socialite Nnaji Izuchukwu, popularly known as Stone, at Bull Hotel, Asata, Enugu, reportedly turned chaotic following a misunderstanding that allegedly prompted the hotel management to invite the police.
Stone, who was the celebrant, reportedly died from gunshot injuries sustained during the ensuing police operation.
Information available to Everydaynewsngr.net indicated that the misunderstanding at the birthday party degenerated into chaos, prompting the hotel management to call in operatives of the police Anti-Cultism Section.
In the confusion that followed, Stone was said to have attempted to escape through a window alongside another person before he sustained gunshot injuries.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
The Enugu State Police Command has since confirmed Stone’s death and ordered an investigation into the incident.
In a press release issued on Friday, October 23, 2026, the command said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, had directed a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and determine whether the operation and use of firearms complied with established operational standards and applicable laws.
According to the police, operatives of the Anti-Cultism Section of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) stormed Bull Hotel during an intelligence-led operation targeting Nworie Chidera Kelvin, popularly known as Akidi, an alleged drug dealer and member of the Vikings Confraternity.
The police said Akidi was suspected of involvement in several cases relating to cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The operation reportedly led to the arrest of Akidi and nine other suspects, comprising males and females aged between 17 and 28.
The police also said quantities of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis, a weighing scale allegedly used for measuring illicit drugs, and ₦43,400 in cash were recovered during the operation.
Giving its account of how Stone died, the command said preliminary findings indicated that he and another suspect jumped through a window in an attempt to escape.
The statement added that an operative pursuing the two suspects was allegedly confronted by them as they attempted to disarm him.
According to the police, the officer’s firearm discharged during the ensuing struggle, leaving Stone with gunshot injuries, while the other suspect escaped.
Stone was rushed to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. His remains have been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
CP Giwa has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department to establish the facts of the incident and determine whether the officers involved complied with operational standards and applicable laws.
The commissioner assured that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action.
He also urged Stone’s family, associates and members of the public to remain calm, stressing that professionalism, ethical conduct and strict adherence to operational standards, particularly those governing the use of firearms, must be upheld during police operations.
The police statement was signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on October 23, 2026.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Edo State Command, has launched a manhunt for a 28-year-old awaiting-trial inmate, Osita Thomas, who escaped while being taken to court for trial.
Thomas, an inmate of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Auchi, reportedly escaped last week during a court appearance over charges bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Suleman, disclosed the development in a statement dated October 21, 2026, and made available to journalists in Benin City on Thursday.
Suleman said the Controller of Corrections in Edo State had directed intensified efforts towards apprehending the fugitive, assuring residents that security measures across custodial facilities had been strengthened to prevent similar incidents.
The Command appealed to members of the public with useful information about Thomas’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or custodial centre.
It also released two telephone numbers, 08038075882 and 08039243704, through which information could be provided to security authorities.
Meanwhile, an official of the Correctional Service attributed the escape to inadequate manpower, explaining that the officer escorting Thomas to court could not abandon other inmates in his custody to pursue the fleeing suspect.
According to the official, pursuing Thomas would have exposed the remaining inmates to possible escape.
The official further raised concerns over worsening personnel shortages in the Service, alleging that more than 1,000 officers were expected to retire this year without corresponding plans for fresh recruitment.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently address the manpower deficit, warning that inadequate personnel could continue to undermine the effective management and security of custodial facilities across the country.
An alleged employment racket involving 21 job seekers and N8.29 million has landed an Enugu-based businesswoman, Stella Ezinne Egotanwa, in the net of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The 45-year-old businesswoman is being investigated for allegedly collecting money from unsuspecting applicants under the guise of securing employment for them at a psychiatric hospital in Enugu State.
The EFCC, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, disclosed that the suspect allegedly collected the money between December 28, 2025, and June 30, 2026, through bank accounts belonging to different Point of Sale (POS) operators.
According to the commission, trouble began for Egotanwa when 16 aggrieved job seekers petitioned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), accusing her of collecting N6.193 million from them without delivering the promised jobs.
The petition subsequently led to her arrest by NSCDC operatives in Anambra State on July 30, 2026.
However, the case took another dimension when five additional victims approached the EFCC, alleging that the businesswoman had similarly defrauded them of N2,098,200 through promises of employment at the same hospital.
The fresh petitions brought the number of alleged victims to 21, with the total amount involved rising to N8,291,200.
One of the victims, who narrated his ordeal to investigators, claimed to have paid Egotanwa N1.05 million on December 28, 2025, believing that she had the connections to secure the promised employment.
“I made the payment in good faith because I believed that the employment opportunity she presented to me was genuine.
“However, after making the payment, the promised employment did not materialise. I subsequently experienced difficulty reaching her and there were periods she did not respond to my calls or messages,” the petitioner stated.
The anti-graft agency further disclosed that Egotanwa was already awaiting trial in a separate case involving a similar alleged employment scam.
It added that the suspect had admitted to the alleged offence during interrogation and would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The EFCC maintained that investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged fraudulent recruitment scheme.
Clarify the EFCC’s role in her arrest
Use consistent language for alleged victims
Tighten the opening for stronger impact
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