Anambra State Police Command has arrested four individuals in connection with the murder of a 74-year-old wheelchair-bound woman in Ifitedenu. The suspects include 21-year-old Chinyere Ekwenugo, identified as the girlfriend of the main suspect, Ifeanyi Igwe, who is currently at large. The other arrested individuals are Uzochukwu Okeke (47), Fidel Anayo (60), and Ikenna Anene (54), all from Abagana.
According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the state police spokesperson, the incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. on January 27, 2025. Police officers from the Abagana Divisional Headquarters responded swiftly, recovering the victim’s charred remains, her wheelchair, and a casket from the scene. The suspects have reportedly confessed to the crime.
During interrogation, Ekwenugo revealed that her boyfriend, Igwe, along with three others, set the victim ablaze. They had brought a casket to bury her before security operatives intervened. The police are actively pursuing Igwe, who remains on the run. The victim’s body has been sent to the morgue for an autopsy and further investigation.
Commissioner of Police Nnaghe Itam has called for calm and directed that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation.
In a related development, operatives from the command’s Anti-Cult Unit in Enugwu Ukwu arrested 25-year-old Maduka Okoye from Abagana on January 26, 2025. Acting on credible information, police recovered three spent cartridges from a pump-action gun at a shooting scene in the Ezichike community of Abagana. Okoye confessed to being a member of the Baggars Confraternity and claimed that members of the Axe Men Confraternity had attacked him and his friend at a beer parlour. The police’s timely intervention likely prevented a potential cult clash in the area. Okoye is cooperating with investigators to track down other gang members involved in the shooting.
