The peaceful community of Ibagwa-Aka in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State has been thrown into mourning and disbelief following the gruesome m*rder of four young siblings by a Sabbath pastor and self-styled spiritualist.
The victims —Kamsiyochukwu Ezema (7), Ezinne Ezema (6), Ujunwa Ezema (5), and Chinedu Ezema (2)— all children of Mr. and Mrs. Chinonso and Loveth Ezema, were reportedly bludgeoned to death with a pestle by a man identified as a pastor of a Sabbath church operating in the area.
While the motive behind the horrifying act remains unclear, the brutality has sent shockwaves throughout the state, prompting an outpouring of grief and calls for justice.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Igbo-Eze South LGA,Mr. Ferdinand Ukwueze, described the k!llings as a “tragic and heinous crime” that has deeply shaken the entire community. Speaking during a condolence visit to the bereaved family on Saturday, he vowed that the perpetrators would not escape justice.
“Our community has been shaken by this unspeakable tragedy. The lives of four innocent children have been cut short in the most gruesome manner,” Ukwueze said. “We stand with the Ezema family and assure them that the full weight of the law will be brought down on those responsible.”
Ukwueze, accompanied by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies, visited the scene of the crime and ordered the immediate sealing of the premises, believed to have been used for unauthorized spiritual and herbal medicine practices.
“Preliminary investigations have led to the arrest of some key suspects, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend others who are still at large,” he added.
The devastated parents, who were reportedly away when the incident occurred, have called on the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and swift justice.
“We want those behind this evil act to face the full wrath of the law,” said Mr. Chinonso Ezema, fighting back tears. “Our children did not deserve this.”
The Enugu State Government and local security agencies have pledged to intensify surveillance and enforce stricter regulation of unlicensed religious and traditional healing centres in the area to prevent a recurrence of such tragedy.
Meanwhile, attempts to get a formal statement from the Enugu State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer,SP Daniel Ndukwe, did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time of this report.
