The police in Anambra state have nabbed some ritualists who abducted an elderly man and others for ritual purpose.
One of the victims
The Anambra state police command has apprehended two members of a vigilante group, who allegedly attempted to murder four persons for alleged ritual purposes at Otuocha in Anambra East local government area, according to the Nation.
The victims were cut with machete by the nine member gang who kidnapped them in their farm at Igbariam in Anambra East council area. It was gathered Friday that the aim of the nine man gang was to use the four victims for ritual purposes at Nengo Akpaukwu Ifite Nteje shrine before the police stormed the place.
According to one of the victims Mr. Paul Obiefuna from Igbariam, “I was working in my farm with my two sons and two other labourers, when the armed gang rounded us up.
“They bounded us and took us to the shrine where they humiliated us and ready to kill us before the police swooped on them because one of my sons escaped from them to a hidden place where he contacted the police.
“Those people came with various kinds of weapons including guns, machete and sticks, but we thank God for using one of my sons to save the others,” Obiefuna said.
Before they were rescued by the police, the victims had been inflicted with various degrees of injuries, while the hoodlums stripped them of all their belongings including cash, phones, clothes and others. Reports have it that they were coerced into swearing an oath never to reveal all their experiences in the event of their survival.
The traditional ruler of Igbariam, Igwe Nkeliuwa Nkeli, said he got the information from one of the victims who escaped, while calling the relevant authorities to unravel the mystery behind the attack with a view to bringing the culprits to book.