Police arrest ex-staff of Owerri FMC over attempted ‘ritual killing’

Police arrest ex-staff of Owerri FMC over attempted ‘ritual killing’

The Imo State Police Command has arrested a man who claimed to be a member of staff of Federal Medical Centre Owerri for attempting to use his neighbour’s son for a money ritual.

The man, one Francis Chukwura (38), a native of Umuiem in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, but resident in Ubommiri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, on January 6, 2022, at about 4:10 p.m. lured his neighbour’s son, Henry Ekwos (male) aged 14 years into his room to help install WhatsApp application for him in his phone.

Unknown to the boy, the suspect had dug a six feet grave in his room where he intended to bury the victim after killing him.

The police, in a statement by the Command’s spokesman, Michael Abattam, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) yesterday said immediately the boy entered the suspect’s room and on sighting the grave became suspicious and turned to run out when the suspect gave him several machete cuts on the head.

The statement read: “On January 6, 2022, at about 4:10 p.pm, one Francis Chukwura ‘M’ aged 38 years, a native of Umuiem in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, but resident in Ubommiri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, lured his neighbour’s son, Henry Ekwos ‘m’ aged 14 years into his room to help him to install WhatsApp application in his phone.