- Enuwa Odugu, a native doctor, claimed a client’s death during a ritual was due to non-compliance with rules
- Chikwado Eze died after being buried alive for 90 minutes during a fortification ritual
- Uwakwe Eze, the father of the deceased, and the native doctor have been arrested as the investigation unfolds
A native doctor from the Inyi community in Igbo-Eze North LGA, Enugu State, named Enuwa Odugu, has attributed the death of his client, Chikwado Eze, during a fortification ritual, to the client's failure to follow ritual protocols.
Daniel Ndukwe, spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, confirmed on Tuesday, October 22 that both the native doctor and Eze’s father, Uwakwe Eze, were arrested alongside other suspects, and the incident is now being thoroughly investigated.
Native doctor, father arrested for murder
“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,” police spokesperson stated.
The police further said, “The incident is alleged to have occurred when Uwakwe Eze took his son to the native doctor’s shrine for a ritual intended to fortify him with charms. However, during the ritual, the deceased was buried in a coffin but he unfortunately died in the process.”
Speaking from detention, the 48-year-old traditional doctor stated that he had successfully carried out the ritual with other clients, and blamed Eze’s death on his failure to comply with the ritual’s instructions.
Eze buried alive for 90 minutes in fortification ritual
The tragic death of Eze, who had recently obtained a visa for foreign travel, occurred after he was buried alive for one hour, and 30 minutes as part of a fortification ritual intended to boost his business endeavours overseas.
Further details from the police statement confirmed that the native doctor had confessed to committing the crime.
Uwakwe Eze reportedly took his son, Chikwado Celestine Eze, aged 26, to the native doctor’s shrine to perform a ritual for fortification using charms.
Chikwado was reportedly placed inside a coffin as part of the ritual, but the procedure took a tragic turn, resulting in his death. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his body has been deposited in the morgue awaiting autopsy results.
Enugu police investigate death of Eze in ritual
“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 police stated.
According to the police, the native doctor admitted to having carried out such rituals previously but blamed Chikwado’s death on his noncompliance with certain key ritual rules.
Authorities have pointed out that this incident highlights the risks involved in dangerous traditional practices, assuring that the investigation is continuing and legal actions are expected to follow.
“The case is under investigation, and the suspects will be arraigned in court once investigations are concluded,” Ndukwe added.
Police arrest native doctor who killed client while testing bulletproof charm in Edo
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Edo State Police arrested a 19-year-old native doctor for shooting and killing his client while testing a bulletproof charm on him.
The Police said the suspect will be prosecuted after concluding the investigation.