by Zara Mustapha

Four men who were caught by a neighborhood watch in Enugu have allegedly confessed to raping and killing a woman and selling her body parts.

The victim, 35-year-old Ngozi Eze was attacked by four suspected ritualists who gang-raped her, dismembered and took away her vital organs and private part in  Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The suspects, Ndukwe Omeke, Chinedu Ugwuanyi, Eugene Ukwueze and Ibekwe Eya were said to have been contacted by one Kenneth Idoko to deliver a female private part for N 600,000.

They were said to have the backings of a high profile politicians who patronize the suspects.

City People reports:

Chairman of the group, Mr. Onyema Ossai, later told reporters in Umuagama the neighbourhood watch swung into action after one of the suspects Ndukwe Omeke owned up and confessed their involvement in Ngozi’s tragedy.

His words: “What we found out from the suspects after interrogation was that they have a list of high profile indigenes and politicians who are backing them up in these ritual killings.

“Ndukwe Omeke, the leader of the gang during his confession named Chinedu Ugwuanyi (a palm wine tapper), Eugene Ukwueze and Ibekwe Eya (an okada rider) and identified Kenneth Idoko (a butcher) as the their anchor man who offered them the job of delivering to him female private parts for N600, 000.”

Another source stated that the suspects further confessed that Idoko gave them a white handkerchief to put the private parts and bring to him before collecting the sum of N600, 000.

It was further gathered that days after delivering Ngozi’s body parts to Idoko, the four suspects were yet to be paid before they were rounded up by the vigilante.

According to the source, when the gang went to Idoko for the payment he said the money was not readily available but promised to make the payment as soon as his principal makes it available.

The Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church Umuagama, Enugu Ezike, Rev. Fr. Mellitus has condemned the barbaric act.

Ritual killing for the sake of obtaining political power is not new in Nigerian with such unimaginable criminality escalating during election periods.