P.M.NEWS investigation revealed that Helen, who headed the Public
Health Unit in the Bekwara local government council, was taken to
ritualists who beheaded her for rituals after her relatives had paid a
ransom. Ifeanyi, whose father is Igbo and mother from Ogoja, in Cross
River, was allegedly paid N10,000 by the ritualists to bring the victim
for them..
Ifeanyi allegedly abducted the 51-year old woman at
Okpogrinya Junction along the Ogoja –Calabar highway. He reportedly took
the nurse, who was returning from Assemblies of God programme in
Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, to Ukpe, a village along the
Ogoja–Ikom highway where she was beheaded and later cut into pieces for
money making ritual.
The victim’s neighbour, Mrs Theresa Idagwu,
told P.M.NEWS yesterday that “she called her daughter, Victoria Agah, at
about 9 p.m. on the fateful day and told her that she was at Okpogrinya
junction and that she is taking a commercial motorcycle to Ogoja and
when she gets to Ogoja she would call again so that she can boil water
for her because she was catching cold following the rain which was
falling all day. That was the last call.”
According to Mrs Idagwu,
the deceased neighbour at Abuochiche estate where the nurse had an
apartment, the phone remained silent until the next day when a call came
through from the kidnappers demanding for a ransom of N50,000 naira
which should be sent through MTN and Glo recharge cards.
“And since
she could not raise the money for the recharge cards, she rushed to the
Bekwara council headquarters where the Head of Administration, Mr Bisong
Bogbo and the chairman of council, Mr Linus Edeh, provided the money
and sent it to the kidnappers.
“Initially, they said they were at
Ishi Eke near Abakaliki. The voice claimed that he needed the recharge
so he could sell and run away from his master who is a ritualist whom he
has been serving for a long time and was tired. He said once he gets
the cards they will release the woman,” she added.
Tears streamed down Mrs Idagwu’s cheeks while narrating the tragic incident.
Tears streamed down Mrs Idagwu’s cheeks while narrating the tragic incident.
According to Mr Bogbo, “the cards were sent to the kidnappers by the
daughter to the victim online and he said he will confirm and
immediately after that the phone went dead. But later we heard that the
woman was cut into pieces.
“It was through a tracking device that
the place was located and it was in Abuochiche and some people confirmed
that Ifeanyi was selling the MTN and Glo recharge cards there. And when
the police swooped on him, they discovered that it was those cards sent
to them that he was selling.”
At the council headquarters, the
victim’s colleague, Mr Gabriel Emeka Ogar, said she is probably the
kindest woman she has worked with.
“I have worked with five coordinators but I know that she is the best so far,” Ogar said.
According to him, the lady had worked to the satisfaction of the governor and now she has been killed, leaving her five children without a helper.
According to him, the lady had worked to the satisfaction of the governor and now she has been killed, leaving her five children without a helper.
“Her husband died five years ago and since then she has
been the one taking care of the children. Only one has graduated. Please
let the government do something for those poor children,” he added.
The Cross River State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP John
Umoh, said the matter is under investigation and four suspects,
including Ifeanyi, are in their custody in Calabar. He said the Homicide
Unit is handling the investigation and when that is completed they
shall be taken to court.
“We have taken confessional statements from
them. They claim the dismembered body was buried in a swamp. We shall
exhume the body for autopsy,” Umoh said.
Meanwhile, trouble is
brewing in Obanlikwu, her local government of origin as youths have for
three days running been blocking the road leading to the Obudu Ranch
Resort asking that justice must be done.
P.M.NEWS
P.M.NEWS
