The Imo State Government has vowed to fish out suspected ritualists who
allegedly killed a 45-year-old woman, Mrs. Susanna Iwuoha, after r*ping
her.
Iwuoha, a mother of four from Alaocha, Umuchiaku, in the Lowa-Okata
Autonomous community, Ihitte Uboma LGA, was found dead with her face dug
into a local stream days after she left home to get cassava from her
farmland.
The woman, whose undergarments were allegedly carted away by her
attackers, was discovered by a community search party after her children
raised the alarm over her disappearance since June 3.
A man identified as Bernard Ekeka, who is believed to have seen the yet unidentified attackers, was also killed.
The woman’s alleged r*pe and murder, it was gathered, created panic in
the community especially because two other women identified as Mrs
Chidinma Nwokorie and Mrs Evelyn Duru have allegedly fallen victims to
rapists in recent times.
Locals told said they believed the perpetrators were familiar with the terrain and most likely enemies within.
Iwuoha’s 15-year-old daughter, Ugochi, said they had earlier gone to the
farm together for weeding and returned home before her mother decided
to go back later that day to harvest some crops.
During a visit to the community on Sunday, Commissioner for Special
Projects, Simon Ebegbulem appealed to residents to avail the police any
useful information to aid the arrest of the perpetrators.
Ebegbulem, who hails from the area, was accompanied on a condolence
visit to the deceased’s aged mother, Madam Angela Iwuoha, her children
and community leaders by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Etiti
Division, Charles Njoku, a Superintendent of Police (SP).
He assured the people that the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma
will do everything within its power to ensure justice prevailed.
“No stone will be left unturned to ensure that the perpetrators of these
henious crimes are brought to justice. The administration of Governor
Hope Uzodinma, as you all know, is a listening and compassionate one.
“The governor has within the short time in office made a lot of inroad
in the areas of security and infrastructural development. The
administration has zero tolerance for any form of criminality, and in no
time, the perpetrators will be fished out and made answerable to the
law,” he said.
The DPO urged the residents to identify the culprits, noting that those
who committed the crimes were no strangers to the locals.
“The issue is that it is a community affair. The community knows those
people, because, they are living with them. They should come to the
police to give us useful information. They will be protected.
“Traditional rulers, opinion leaders, vigilante groups, should assist us
here. Security is not a one-man affair. This is the third case within
this area,” said the DPO.
