A 43-year-old man, Mr. Ekene Ekwenuya, has been macheted to death and buried in a shallow grave near his building site at Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State; the state police command has confirmed.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Command spokesperson, DSP Bright Edafe, told newsmen in Asaba, the capital, on Monday, that one of the suspects involved in the gruesome killing had been nabbed and he’s currently cooling his heels in police custody.
“The police got information that the victim was killed with cutlass. They cut him in the head, leading to his death,” Edafe disclosed.
“However, last Saturday, the police apprehended one of the suspects and he is currently helping the police with investigation.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, gathered from community sources that the victim was ambushed on Tuesday, when he went to his building site along Ubulu-Unor road, Ogwashi-Uku.
A young man in the community who gave his name simply as Chukwudi, told NAN that the killers overpowered Ekene, dealt him several machete cuts on his head and dug a shallow grave in which they buried him.
“This incident happened over six days now. Ekene went to his building site with his motorbike last Tuesday and never returned home.
“The family and friends have searched everywhere for him but to no avail, a situation that made them to make a formal report to police.
“But last Saturday morning, some friends of the victim in the community spotted a youth from the community riding Ekene’s motorbike and confronted him over the whereabout of Ekene.
“When the suspect could not give a definite answer, they held him, beat him up and called in the community vigilantes who subsequently handed the suspect to the police,” Chukwudi said.
The source said that the suspect later confessed to the crime before the police and mentioned three other accomplices who were currently on the run.
The suspect also narrated how Ekene was killed and buried in a shallow grave in the bush, near his building site.
NAN futher gathered that the suspect led a combined team of the police and Ogwashi-Uku Vigilantes to where the victim was buried and the corpse was exhumed and taken to the morgue.