The Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned a 30-year-old suspect, identified as Oforbuike Okoro, before Magistrate Court II in Abakaliki, the state capital.

 

 

The Command had earlier this month arrested the suspect for allegedly murdering his mother, Mrs. Onyema Damian, in Ukawu, Onicha Local Government Area of the state.

 

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly committed the act following his mother’s refusal to bathe him, which he claimed was part of a ritual believed to bring him wealth.

 

 

Ukandu further noted that, within March alone, the Command had also arraigned four other suspects, Onyebuchi Eze, Eze Nwuke, Oko Odinaka Emmanuel, and Uchenna Ota for alleged involvement in separate murder cases.

 

He described the recent rise in murder cases recorded by the Command as deeply troubling.

 

 

He added that the Commissioner of Police, Hope Urunwa Okafor, had expressed concern over the increasing cases of homicide in the state and urged residents to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

 

The Commissioner also appealed to the public to report grievances to security agencies.

 

Okafor stated that murder remains a capital offense and a grave crime against humanity. He reaffirmed the Command’s open-door policy and assured residents of prompt attention to their complaints.

 

 

At the court, the defendant pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of murder brought against him.

 

The Police Prosecutor, David Njoku, told the court that the offence was committed on March 19, 2026, at Ohatekwe, Ukawu, in the Onicha Local Government Area of the state. He alleged that the defendant stabbed his mother in the back with a knife, leading to her death.

 

He said, “The offence is punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009.”

 

The defendant, who had no legal representation, told the court that he could not fully explain his actions but admitted responsibility.

 

“I don’t know what really happened, but I can remember that I killed her over her refusal to bathe me,” he said.

 

In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Chinedu Agama, ordered that the suspect be remanded in a correctional facility, noting that the court lacked jurisdiction to try the case.

 

He directed that the case file and exhibits be forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and adjourned the matter to April 9.