Who be Ezeani wey Nigerian authorities gbab for accuse say e bury pipo alive for Enugu
Di Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) say dem don capture one suspected ritualist Onyeka Nwaobu, wey dey face accuse say e bury pipo alive for im house for Umumba Ndiagu, Enugu State, southeastern part of di kontri.
Dem catch di man wey many dey refer to as native doctor for di border between Nigeria and Benin Republic as e bin wan run comot from di kontri, according to one statement by di NIS tok-tok pesin AS Akinlabi.
Di NIS say na during one stop and search operation for di Gbaji checkpoint for Seme border, by security forces including di Nigeria police, na dia dem gbab di suspect as e dey on top bike wan cross over.
"We confam im identity using one National Identity Management Commission slip wey we find for im possession, and during interrogation," di statement tok.
Di tori of dis suspected ritualist na wetin don dey trend for social media for days now as many Nigerians express shock and anger for videos wey dey circulate wey show say dem bury pipo for inside im compound for Enugu State.
Nwaobu don deny all di accusations - e say na set up.
How evritin take start
Tori about dis suspected ritualist Onyeka Nwaobu break wen one small girl allegedly escape from im hand afta di man and im gang bin allegedly kidnap her.
Dis event according to wetin local pipo tell BBC tori pesin, happun on Monday, 26 May, 2025, for Umumba Ndiagu village, Ezeagu local goment area of Enugu State.
For one video wey don go viral on social media, di girl tok say she and her father bin go to dia farm to fetch firewood, wen di men approach dem and beg her father to help dem wit dia motorcycle wey spoil.
Dem later overpower her papa bifor dem carry her run, tie her mouth and legs.
"Dem put me for one hole for di ground and cover am wit leaves, but as I continue to dey make sound, e attract some vigilante pipo wey dey pass and dem come rescue me," di girl tok for di video.
Afta dis rescue, villagers gada for di native doctor house wit vex and set am on fire, by den di man imsef - wey im native doctor name na Ozor Ezeani - don run.
One man Ambrose Obieze, wey dey live for Umumba village tell BBC Igbo say dem see plenty ditches for di man house wia e allegedly bury pipo for inside.
Videos and pictures of inside di compound of di native doctor, and di plenty juju materials wey di villagers see wen dem go dia, don go viral on top plenty social media platforms.
Enugu State goment and police act
Govnor Peter Mba of Enugu State order di demolition of di house of di suspected ritualist, and goment bulldozers don already level di man entire compound.
Several states for di southeast region get law say any property belonging to a kidnapper, goment go destroy am and seize di land.
Also, di Enugu State police command don chook mouth for di matter, as di Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, hail di Neighbourhood Watch vigilante pipo wey rescue di kidnapped little girl and also capture three of di suspects wey bin kidnap her.
Tok-tok pesin for di police, Daniel Ndukwe, give di names of di arrested suspects and confam say dem discover di decomposing corpses of one man and one woman for di ditches wey di native doctor dig for im house.
Wetin relatives and locals tok
One family member of di suspect tell BBC say dia brother bin come back from Togo wia e bin dey, and e no tey, e start to dey build house.
"We bin tink say e don make money, but we no know say e carry juju come back wey dey demand human head," e tok.
"Wetin we know be say im na native doctor and e dey usually shoot local canon for midnight. We no know say e dey kill pipo."
Another villager also tell BBC tori pesin say di suspect na "veri bad and strong juju" e dey do.
Di villager allege say di land wia di suspect dey build im house currently na land wey e allegedly collect by force from one woman wey im husband die.
Nwaobu say di allegations no be true and add say e no be native doctor. E say na okrika e dey sell.
Who be Onyeka Nwobu?
According to wetin local pipo tell BBC, di suspect Onyeka Nwobu, na ogbonge native doctor wey pipo dey fear well-well for di area.
Im native doctor name na Ozor Ezeani but e also get nickname 'ichie million' wey mean 'chief of millions'. Dis name na sake of how e dey usually spray money for events and ceremonies for di village.
E bin dey stay for Togo bifor e come back village and tok say im na traditionalist now.
Ikechukwu Chime wey be priest of di Anglican Church for di village, tell BBC say di man follow for di youths wey come back home wit di disguise say dem wan return to di tradition and religion of dia ancestors, "but now e don clear us say na blood dem dey drink".
A history of ritual killings
Ritual killing to make money no be new tori for Nigeria, a kontri wey get large youth population, but wia unemployment and poverty rate dey veri high.
For March dis year, di Rivers State Police Command, for di south-south region, arrest one native doctor and im accomplice wey allegedly kill two seven-year old girls from di same family for ritual purpose.
Also, for January 2023, Police for Ogun State arrest one herbalist and five odas wey allegedly kidnap, kill and sell body parts of one 26 years old woman for Ijebu Ode area of di state.
For March of di same 2023, one magistrate court for Ekiti State remand three pipo for prison sake of alleged kidnapping and killing of one 82-year-old man, Michael Obasuyi, for ritual purposes.
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