POLICE ARRAIGN 30-YEAR-OLD MAN FOR THE MURDER OF HIS MOTHER IN EBONYI
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By: Muftau Fatimo
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned a 30-year-old man, identified as Oforbuike Okoro, before Magistrate Court II in Abakaliki, the state capital.
Earlier this month, the suspect was arrested for allegedly murdering his mother, Mrs. Onyema Damian, in Ukawu, Onicha Local Government Area of the state.
According to a statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect allegedly committed the crime after his mother refused to bathe him, an act he claimed was part of a ritual intended to bring him wealth.
Ukandu also noted that, in March alone, the Command arraigned four other individuals—Onyebuchi Eze, Eze Nwuke, Oko Odinaka Emmanuel, and Uchenna Ota—for their alleged involvement in separate murder cases.
He described the recent increase in murder cases as deeply troubling and added that the Commissioner of Police, Hope Urunwa Okafor, expressed serious concern over the rising incidents of homicide in the state, urging residents not to take 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 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 stated, “The offence is punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009.”
The defendant, appearing without legal counsel, told the court that he could not fully account for his actions but accepted responsibility.
“I don’t fully understand what happened, but I remember killing her because she refused to bathe me,” he said.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Chinedu Agama ordered that the suspect be remanded in a correctional facility, explaining that the court did not have jurisdiction to try the case.
He further directed that the case file and exhibits be sent to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and adjourned the matter to April 9.
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