Enugu State

Hardship: Woman drops own children at police station, commits suicide

By Uzair Adam Imam

A mother of three has committed suicide due to incessant economic hardship after abandoning her children at a police station in Enugu State.

It was gathered that the woman went to Ogui Road police station with the children, handed them to officers, stripped herself naked and run under the moving vehicle which crushed her to death.

The ages of the three children are reportedly six, four, and two. Her husband allegedly ran away from home months ago due to increased hardship, abandoning his wife and children.

When asked about their father, the eldest of the children simply said he was lost. She could not provide any other information about their family, town, or residential address.

The wife of Enugu State Governor, Nkechinyere Mbah, who rushed to the police station upon learning about the incident, was told that the woman might have been suffering from depression.

Mbah was touched by the development. She said she would take care of the children and educate them from nursery school to university.

She announced that sponsorship for the children would be undertaken by her Custos Care Foundation.

Mbah also directed the immediate relocation of the children from the station to a home where the state government could take care of them.

She urged people who suffer from depression to seek counseling and avoid rash decisions.

She also urged the Commissioner, Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Development, Ngozi Enih, to intensify sensitisation and counselling, especially for the depressed.

Gunmen raze down INEC office in Enugu, murder policeman

By Uzair Adam Imam

Unknown gunmen have stormed the Enugu state office of the National Electoral Commission (INEC) and set the place on fire.

The attack, which was coming few days to the country’s general elections, also lead to the murder of a policeman, who was shot by the gunmen and breathed his last on the spot.

Festus Okaye, the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, delayed the news go journalists.

He said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka J. Chukwu, reported the incident to the headquarters of the commission.

He added that, “The incident occurred around 9.12pm yesterday, Sunday 15th January 2023. The security gatehouse was razed. Of the two Policemen deployed to protect the facility, one of them lost his life while the other sustained injuries and is receiving treatment.”

“The commission prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased policeman and the speedy recovery of the injured. The attack is being investigated by the security agencies,” Okoye said.

He added that it was very fortunate that the attackers could not gain access to the main building as a result of responses from police and army personnel 82 Division.

Native doctor kills client in unsuccessful bullet-repelling charm test

By Muhammadu Sabiu

A native doctor named Odoh Emmanuel has been detained by the Enugu State police after it was claimed that he used a rifle intended for testing the bullet-repelling charms he had created for his client Onunze Benedict to kill him.

The terrible incident was said to have occurred in Umuaram Village, which is a part of the Ikem neighbourhood in the state’s Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.

The victim, an Eha-Amufu resident, reportedly asked the local oracle to create the charm for him.

The native doctor, who was only 23 years old, made the decision to try the charm on his customer by shooting him several times.

Commenting on the incident, the Enugu Police Command, through its spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement: “On 16/11/2022 around 11 pm, Police Operatives serving in Isi-Uzo Police Division of the command arrested Odoh Emmanuel (male and a native doctor) aged 23, of Umuaram Village in Ikem community of Isi-Uzo LGA, for shooting and murdering his adult male client, one Onunze Benedict, of Eha-Amufu community in the same. 

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect confessed to having used a locally-fabricated single-barreled gun to shoot and murder the said victim in his shrine at the mentioned location while testing the gunshot protection charm he had prepared for him. The gun has been recovered, while further investigation is ongoing at the Homicide Section of the State CID Enugu”.