Evil son strangles mother, burns her corpse

Twenty-nine-year-old Ekene Ucheagwu, a native of Ndikpa Awu­ka Ogbunka, Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State, who alleged­ly committed an abominable act is now gnashing his teeth in the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Anambra State Police Command.

Ekene kidnapped his 65-year-old mother, Agnes, strangled her and then proceeded to burn her corpse in the dreaded Ogba Ukwu forest in the community.

As the nation was celebrat­ing the last May Day, Madam Agnes was reported missing. The kinsmen, Sunday Sun learnt from the Anambra State Commission­er of Police, Mr Usman Gwary, promptly suspected her son, Ekene, because of the lingering misunderstanding between him and the mother. Gwary said Ek­ene was summoned by the kins­men to ascertain what he knew about the incident. Curiously, he told them to prepare a burial place for the missing woman.

It was further gathered that the problem between mother and son began sometime in 2012, and led to the hapless woman being beaten by the son, who broke her arm in the process. For such case of assault and battery, the police arrested and detained him for sometime at Umuchukwu Police Station. While in police custody, he was said to have sworn to deal with his mother whenever he regained freedom. True to his word, Ekene carried out the threat by beating her again.

At the office of SARS, where he is being held, Ekene spoke with Sunday Sun, accusing his late mother of being a witch, who used satanic powers to frustrate him and his siblings, preventing them from progress­ing in life.

His words: “My mother was evil. I killed her because of her wickedness. She prevented us, her children, from progressing. She was a witch and rained curses on us not to progress. She used her witchcraft powers to blind and attack us. I killed her because she planned to kill me because I called her queen of the coast. I beat her initially for her wickedness, but I am beginning to regret my action because my people have isolated me. I cannot forgive my mother. She had six children, three girls and three boys. My sister and brother died and she was behind their deaths.”

One of the kinsmen of the sus­pect, Josiah Okoli, commended the Commander of SARS, Supol James Nwafor, a chief superin­tendent of police (CSP) and his team for the quick investigative work that led to the arrest of Ekene in Aba, Abia State.

Okoli recalled that the police had given a firm commitment to arrest the perpetrator of the act before the late Agnes would be given a befitting burial. He expressed satisfaction that the culprit was eventually uncov­ered.

Gwary gave an assurance that the suspect would soon be arraigned in court.