Enuwa Odugu, the dibia or native doctor from Inyi community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, has claimed that the death of his client, Chikwado Eze, during a fortification ritual was due to the client’s failure to follow prescribed ritual rules.
Speaking from police custody, the 48-year-old native doctor explained that Eze was not the first client for whom he had performed such rituals. He maintained that the unfortunate incident resulted from the client’s disobedience.
The deceased, who had recently secured a visa to travel to Europe, died after being buried alive for one and a half hours during a fortification ritual meant to guarantee success in his business trip overseas.
In a statement signed by the Enugu State Police Command spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, it was confirmed that both the native doctor and Eze’s father, Uwakwe Eze, along with other accomplices, have been arrested and the matter is currently under probe.
The police statement further revealed that the native doctor had confessed to the crime.
Uwakwe Eze is accused of taking his 26-year-old son, Chikwado Celestine Eze, to the native doctor’s shrine for rituals to fortify him with charms. During the ritual, Chikwado was buried in a coffin but tragically died in the process. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his body has been deposited in a mortuary pending an autopsy.
The police reported that the native doctor admitted to performing such rituals in the past but attributed Chikwado’s death to his failure to adhere to certain ritualistic rules.
