One Mr. Ukata Iheme who is a hunchback has allegedly be killed for money making rituals by some fake pastors who fronted as his friends.
The Abia State police command has arrested a suspected ritualist, Marshal Nwankwo, of Dikeukwu autonomous community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, for allegedly killing a hunchback, Mr. Ukata Iheme, for money making purposes, reports the Vanguard.
The suspect, who was said to have committed the crime with another suspect, Emeka Okoye, now at large, allegedly killed and buried the victim.
According to the Police, the suspect on interrogation made useful statements that led to the discovery of the grave where the body of the victim was buried. Following his confession, the decomposing corpse of the victim was last Tuesday exhumed from the grave.
Sources from the community said the victim was reported missing on Saturday, October 10, 2015. His disappearance was reported to the Police and public announcements also placed on local radio stations. The sources said the arrested suspect and his accomplice on the run, claimed to be pastors.
The youths in the area who got a wind of the mysterious disappearance of the hunchback approached the fake pastor at his residence to inquire about his location as he was the last person seen with the late hunchback which he denied.
According to the youth leader of the community, Mr. Chukwudi Egwu, an irregularity in the information given by him as well as his wife at the time of the victim's disappearance gave him up.
“We got information that the suspect was seen on that fateful day at Dubai market Onuimo, drinking wine with the pastor.
‘’Some people also said they later came to a beer parlour at Dikenta village drinking together. But the pastor denied setting eyes on him that day,” Egwu said.
He said the youths decided to conduct a search at the pastors’ churches where they saw a pair of shoes identified by the victim’s son as his father’s.
“This boosted our morale and as we continued combing the area, we also saw his shorts in a nearby cassava plantation.
‘’It was at that point that we combed the entire place and saw a mount of red soil which we strongly believed must be a grave.
“We, therefore, decided to contact the Police who came and we opened the shallow grave and found his decomposing body inside, with his genitals and hunchback missing”, the youth leader said.