Enugu herbalist, father arrested over son’s death in failed ritual

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a native doctor, Enuwa Odugu, and the father of a 26-year-old man identified as Chikwado Eze, who died during a botched fortification ritual in the state.

The tragic incident happened at Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State last week.

According to reports, Chikwado had secured a visa to travel abroad and returned to his village to share the news with his father, Mr Uwakwe Eze. However, his father insisted on a fortification ritual to ensure his success overseas and took him to the native doctor, Odugu.

The native doctor, Odugu, allegedly claimed that Chikwado needed to be buried alive for one hour and 30 minutes to be properly fortified. Unfortunately, when Chikwado was exhumed after the stipulated time, he was found dead.

Confirming the incident in a statement issued by the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, he said the father of the deceased and the native doctor had been arrested.

According to the statement, “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.

“The incident is alleged to have occurred when Uwakwe Eze took his son to the native doctor’s shrine for rituals intended to fortify him with charms. However, during the ritual, the deceased was buried in a coffin but he unfortunately died in the process.

“He was rushed to the hospital and confirmed dead by the attending doctor, and his body was deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”

He said the native doctor had confessed to the crime and other previous performances of such rituals, attributing the death of the victim to his non-adherence to certain ritualistic rules he earlier prescribed for him.

“The case is under investigation, and the suspects will be arraigned in court once investigations are concluded,” Ndukwe said.