Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a young man who allegedly killed his mother Mrs. Charity Orji, and sister, Miss Ukamaka Orji and buried them in a shallow grave.
Somadina Orji, identified as the suspect, hailing from Igboariam in Anambra State, allegedly committed the crime on Monday, December 4, 2023, at Umuagu Inyi in the Oji River Local Government area of Enugu State.
Reports and video footage of the incident reveal that the late Charity, originally from Inyi but married in Igboariam, Anambra State, had been residing in her family home with her children for several years.
Unfortunately, her son, reportedly involved in drug dealing and having ongoing conflicts with her due to his behavior, ultimately chose to take her life.
Mr. Ben Obi, a community leader in Inyi, informed journalists that the issues began weeks earlier when the suspect had a conflict with his younger brother.
He expressed a desire to harm him, prompting the mother to intervene.
She reported the incident to the kingsmen, seeking their assistance to remove him from the house due to his intent to harm the younger brother
Meanwhile, the younger sister had been missing for two weeks before the conflict with the mother.
Ben stated that the mother went for a condolence visit at Akpugoeze, and upon her return in the afternoon, Somadina, the son, allegedly killed and buried her in a shallow grave in their backyard
He said that when the younger brother came back and was looking for the mother, he suspected something and raised an alarm.
“When the villagers gathered at the compound upon interrogation, Somadina confessed that he had killed the mother.”
The confession extended to Somadina admitting that he had also killed the younger sister weeks earlier.
Barrister Ben added that upon police intervention, the remains of both the mother and sister were exhumed and placed in the mortuary, while the suspect was arrested
Ben also clarified that Charity, until her death, was a hardworking woman who sells fufu to feed her family
Expressing distress over the widespread use of hard drugs in the community, he emphasized that the lack of governing bodies like the traditional ruler, town union, and president-general contributed to the incident, hindering efforts to control drug abuse.
He appealed to the government to intervene and prevent future occurrences of such incidents.
Mr. Ejike Tasie, the coordinating president-general in Oji River, joined in condemning the act and expressed deep concern about the alarming use of hard drugs in Inyi Community.
He called upon the anti-drug agency in Oji River to collaborate in efforts to curb the use of these drugs across various communities within the local government.
Confirming the incident, The Punch reported on Sunday that DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the Command’s spokesperson, stated the suspect had been arrested, and an ongoing investigation was in progress
Ndukwe said that once the investigation is concluded, the suspect will be promptly arraigned in court
“The suspect has been arrested and the case is under investigation. The suspect would be prosecuted once investigations are concluded.”
Kanyi Daily recalls that Nigerian filmmaker, Biodun Stephen had reflected on a tragic event from her past that led to her mother’s death.