Tragedy strikes Enugu: Son decapitates mother, separate incident sees man slaughter sister and niece

Residents of Ukehe and Agu-Ekwegbe communities in Enugu State's Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area are reeling in shock and grief after two horrific murder incidents involving family members, which were confirmed by the Enugu State Police Command to have occurred on May 15, 2026.

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These incidents allegedly involved beheadings carried out by two male suspects, according to police spokesman Daniel Ndukwe, who revealed that a 40-year-old man, Anikwe Onyebuchi, used a cutlass to behead his 60-year-old mother, Anikwe Felicia, at Nkporogwu Ukehe community.

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Police operatives from the Igbo-Etiti Police Division responded to the incident, recovering the corpse and severed head, and deposited the remains in a mortuary after doctors confirmed the victim dead, while the suspect was rescued from an angry mob that had severely beaten him.

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The suspect, Anikwe Onyebuchi, was taken to hospital for treatment and subsequently rearrested, according to Ndukwe, who also reported on a separate incident at Agu-Ekwegbe community.

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In this second incident, another suspect, Joshua Eze, allegedly killed his sister, Nwabuche Eze, and her daughter, Favour Eze, with a cutlass, with officers from the Command's Distress Response Squad responding to a distress call and recovering the bodies.

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The bodies were deposited in a mortuary after confirmation of death by medical personnel, while the suspect, Joshua Eze, was rescued from a mob attack in critical condition but later died in hospital, according to the police.

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Preliminary investigations revealed that Joshua Eze allegedly buried the victims in a shallow grave alongside a dead white cock, raising suspicions of ritual activity, as disclosed by Ndukwe.

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Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, condemned the killings, describing them as "barbaric," and directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to carry out thorough investigations.

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The police commissioner also urged residents to avoid jungle justice and report criminal suspects to security agencies for lawful prosecution, in reaction to the incidents.