The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended four individuals, including a 21-year-old woman, Chinyere Ekwenugo, in connection with the murder of a 74-year-old wheelchair-bound woman in Ifitedenu.
Ekwenugo, identified as the girlfriend of Ifeanyi Igwe, the prime suspect in the crime, is among those arrested.
Igwe remains at large. The other suspects, Uzochukwu Okeke (47), Fidel Anayo (60), and Ikenna Anene (54), all residents of Abagana, were also taken into custody for their involvement in the brutal crime.
SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police, confirmed the arrests on Sunday, stating that the incident occurred around 9:00 am that day.
Police from the Abagana Divisional Police Headquarters recovered the victim’s burned body, her wheelchair, and a casket from the crime scene.
Ikenga revealed that the suspects have admitted to the crime during interrogation.
“Our operatives acted swiftly to apprehend the suspects and collect vital evidence. Investigations are ongoing to track down the prime suspect, who is still on the run,” Ikenga stated.
Chinyere Ekwenugo confessed that her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe, along with the three other suspects, set the elderly woman on fire.
They even brought a casket to the scene to bury the victim, but their plans were interrupted by security forces, according to Ikenga.
The police spokesperson confirmed that Igwe, the primary suspect, is still being sought.
The victim’s body has been sent to the morgue for an autopsy and further investigation into the cause of death.
In response to the shocking incident, Commissioner of Police Nnaghe Itam urged the public to remain calm and directed that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for a more in-depth investigation.
In a separate operation, Ikenga announced the arrest of 25-year-old Maduka Okoye, a member of the Baggars Confraternity, in Enugwu Ukwu.
Okoye was detained after police received credible intelligence and recovered three spent cartridges from a pump-action gun at a shooting scene in the Ezichike community of Abagana.
Okoye reportedly told police that he was drinking with a friend when members of the Axe Men Confraternity attacked them.
The police intervention helped prevent further violence, and Okoye is currently cooperating with investigators to locate other members of the rival cult involved in the incident.
