There was pandemonium at Ngelefi, Ehamufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, on Tuesday, following the brutal murder of seven persons by a middle-aged man suspected to be a lunatic.
Reports from the area said the alleged murderer, identified as Onyekachi Ugwu, killed his father and seven others with a cutlass in the early hours of Tuesday.
It was gathered that the suspect, who was being searched for by the police and other security operatives had gone to the Ngelefi farm settlement in the night, when some members of the community were sleeping and hacked down seven persons to death with his cutlass.
Still not satisfied with his dastardly action, the suspect was said to have set his father’s house on fire, which left his father, domestic animals, motorcycle and other households burnt in the inferno.
It was further gathered that the suspect also visited other houses at the farm settlement, where he also sent occupants to their untimely death, including a year and a six-month-old baby.
Confirming the story, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amarizu, said that the police authority had begun investigation into the incident, adding that the alleged murderer was suspected to have a mental case.
Amarizu said “search of the suspect is intensified by the combined team of the police and the Neighbourhood Watch group, who are combing bushes and hideouts in the area in order to stop further wrecking of havoc by the alleged mentally deranged suspect.
“The mother of the suspect was lucky to have escaped the incident, as she would have been counted as one of the victims,” the police imagemaker added.