EIGHT persons were killed in Onicha community, Onicha Igboeze local government area of Ebonyi State during a ritual cleansing of the community after they were accused of practicing witchcraft by their kinsmen, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, (AIG) zone 9 Command, Adewale Ajakaiye has said.
He further disclosed that nobody from the community made any formal report to the Police about the incident for fear of being visited with similar punishment.
According to him, intelligence reports indicated that one of the eight victims was taken to a shrine in Delta State where it was confirmed that he was a witch, before being dispatched to his grave.
Ajakaiye told reporters how, about a fortnight ago, the Onicha-Igboeze people reenacted their February 2, protest during which they decried the state government’s alleged negligence of the area by vandalizing 12 houses including that of the then Deputy governor, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu. In the last episode of the demonstration, Ogbu’s house was finally burnt.
He confirmed that the two police officers allegedly kidnapped in the wake of the protest are still missing, saying 22 people have so far been arrested in connection with the incidents.
Condemning the attitudes of the youths in the area, the Police boss expressed grief that the Onicha problem has gone beyond an ordinary thing.
“Imagine a small village like that to have inflicted much violence on its populace within a period of four months? It is very unfortunate. Is this the kind of life we want in Nigeria? I don’t think anybody can support such an idea,”he said.
The AIG, however said all those arrested in connection with the crises will face the wrath of the law.
The Guardian gathered that during the recent attack on the Deputy Governor’s house, the youths first of all killed the two Hausa guarding the premises before setting the house on fire to protest the arrest of those who testified at the panel, contrary to assurances that no one who volunteers to testify at the panel would be arrested.
Jun242007