There was an outrage on Monday in Enugu State when some vigilante operatives busted a native doctor who allegedly buried several people alive in a sewage pit for ritual.
The incident happened at Umumba Ndiagu, a community in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu.
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The native doctor has been identified as Onyeka Obu. He is popularly known as Ozo Ezeani as well as “E dey play, E dey show.”
Several video clips circulating on Facebook showed gory images of people dumped in the sewage pit allegedly by the native doctor.
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The sewage pit is located at the native doctor’s ongoing building site near his residence.
The body of a pregnant woman was among several bodies found in the pit owned by the native doctor.
Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the angry youths, upon the discovery, set ablaze the native doctor’s apartment and his vehicles.
“The dead bodies found in Ezeani’s soakaway (sewage pit) clearly show he had been a ritualist, not a native doctor,” Emeka Ozougwu, a resident, told this newspaper.
Many residents were heard in the video clips expressing anger over the incident.
How it was uncovered
Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the alleged act by the native doctor was uncovered when two boys working for him allegedly abducted a 13-year-old girl in the community.
One of the residents, who asked not to be named, said the girl was subsequently pushed into the sewage pit.
The 13-year-old girl (name withheld) was heard narrating in a video clip how the boys bundled her onto their motorcycle and zoomed off.
The girl’s father, in another clip, confirmed she was abducted in his presence but could not pursue or trace the abductors.
He was said to have reported the incident to the community’s vigilante group, thinking that his daughter’s abductors were kidnappers.
A resident, who asked not to be named, said some vigilante operatives later spotted the boys holding the girl on their motorcycle and traced them to the native doctor’s apartment.
The resident said Mr Ezeani initially attempted to deceive the operatives by expressing surprise over the incident before trying to distract them from entering his apartment.
He said the operatives forced their way into the native doctor’s ongoing building site when they heard the girl’s persistent cries.
“The vigilante people searched the place and found the soakaway (sewage pit),” he said, adding that the youths later arrived at the scene.
A leader of the vigilante operatives narrated how they caught the native doctor and rescued the 13-year-old girl from the sewage pit.
“When we entered the house, we discovered that the girl was in the pit. We flashed our torchlight and saw several dead bodies in the pit. We now rescued the girl,” said the vigilante leader, who asked not to be named.
He said the native doctor and his boys belong to a secret society named “White Club Kingdom” but often present as members of a harmless association.
Meanwhile, there are speculations that a group of native doctors in the community has disowned Mr Ezeani, insisting that he was never their member.
PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify this.
Demolition
The Chairperson of Ezeagu Local Government Area, Vitalis Ndu, on Tuesday, visited the native doctor’s apartment and the sewage pit.
Mr Ndu was said to have reported the incident to the Enugu State Government for action.
READ ALSO: Man dies after father, native doctor put him inside coffin – Police
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the state government had demolished the native doctor’s apartment over the incident.
“Happening now: The kidnappers and ritualists’ den in Umumba Ndiagu where dead bodies and kidnapped victims were recovered by security operatives is up for demolition,” Josh Ejeh, an aide to Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday night.
“I’m there to inspect the development. No room for kidnappers and ritualists in Enugu.”
Mr Ejeh later uploaded a video showing the native doctor’s buildings being demolished.
Before now, the Enugu State Government has been demolishing properties linked to kidnapping and violent crimes in the state.
According to the state government, the demolition of such properties is backed by Section 315 (Second Amendment) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State 2017.
The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking his comments.
