CRIME Land dispute: Native doctors docked over death of man
Two native doctors, Obu Madubuike and Okafor Okoye, from Omor town in Anambra State and three other persons from Mkpologwu town in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu, have been arraigned in a Chief Magistrate’s Court at Adani in Uzo-Uwani over the use of charms on a disputed land.
The invocation of the charm was said to have led to the sudden death of one Thomas Ezeugwu.
The accused were arraigned on two count charge of “conspiracy to commit felony to wit trial by ordeal and planting and invocation of prohibited ‘juju’ (charm) into a communal land situated at Ogba Nkpologwu which caused the death of one Thomas Ezeugwu.”
All the suspects pleaded not guilty while the case was adjourned to December 1, 2017.
Enugu State Police Command spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the arrest and subsequent arraignment of the suspects, said that relations of the deceased, who was residing in Lagos where he suddenly slumped and died, are still mourning the demise of their beloved one given the mysterious circumstances in which he died.
According to the police image maker, after Ezeugwu’s death on October 6, 2017, his remains were brought to his home town, Nkpologwu, for burial rites.
He said three co-defendants Okolo Nicholas, Peter Ezugwu and Augustine Ezeugwu - all from the same town but resident in Onitsha, Anambra State, who came for the burial ceremony, reportedly called villagers and revealed their roles in the death of their kinsman.
Amaraizu said the three natives told villagers how they conspired and brought charms from Omor town of Anambra State which was invoked into the disputed land from which they claimed the deceased had sold 20 plots without their consent.
He said that as a result of their revelations, the two native doctors were nabbed, adding that the juju doctors confirmed that they were met by the three suspects for invocation of the charm and that it was targeted at whoever would enter the said land.