• Tears as Enugu community buries 4 women brutally murdered by suspected drug addict
From Magnus Eze, Enugu
The agrarian community of Nkerefi in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has been in mourning mood since June 20, 2023, when a labourer allegedly killed four women in their farms after taking substances suspected to be crystal meth, also known as mkpurummiri. Two others- Mrs Chinyere Odih and Mrs Ngozika Akpu, were lucky as they escaped death with serious machete injuries and were hospitalised.
Tears flowed freely and people wailed uncontrollably as the bodies of the deceased namely; Mrs Comfort Chukwu Akpuru, Mrs Chinyere Mary Onu, Madam Ogeme Agnes Nwoyi and Madam Nwakaego Auguston Opionachie were brought into Igwebuike Secondary School, Imeoha Nkerefi in a motorcade on Friday, August 25, for the funeral service. The entire community and some of their neighbours assembled and honoured these women whose death according to the traditional ruler, Igwe Luke Okorie had brought to an end such deaths in the area.
Dignitaries and groups including the House of Representatives member for Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Nnolim Nnaji and Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Council, Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, paid glowing tributes to the women before their bodies were taken away for interment in their respective villages.
In solemnity, the officiating priest encouraged the families of the deceased and members of the community to take heart and be strong in the face of the unfortunate incident.
Nnaji prayed for God to grant the family the strength to bear the loss. He also pledged to enhance security in the community by initiating legislations at the National Assembly to that effect.
Chairman of the Council, Edeh asked Nkerefi people to be comforted, pledging to provide support for the families of the deceased, as well as those who were still hospitalised.
Traditional ruler of Imeoha Nkerefi, Igwe Okorie who facilitated the entire activity ensuring a befitting funeral for the women, prayed for the souls of the dead.
He affirmed that they had paid the supreme price, but assured that their deaths were now a sacrifice to ensure that no such incident ever happens in Nkerefi land.
He comforted the people, and stated that the four women would be celebrated “because you have become a bridge blocking such heinous killings ever in our community. I plead with you to know that you did not die in vain.” The traditional ruler then placed a flag on the caskets, as a sign of glory for the dead. President General of Nkereffi Clan, Jim Dubem told Saturday Sun that Nkerefi people, home and abroad came together to ensure the successful burial of the slain women.
He disclosed that the community also picked the medical bills of the two survivors while what was left from the fund raised by the burial committee was shared among the affected families.
According to him, the community was determined to cushion the effect of the unfortunate incident on the families of the deceased, noting that the traditional ruler has also placed the two survivors on monthly stipends.
“It has not been easy for us but we thank God that we’re overcoming the shock. The Council Chairman, Hon. Sydney Edeh and the House of Representatives member for Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Nnolim Nnaji were all there. They also provided some financial support. Nkerefi people home and abroad did their best in the circumstance we found ourselves,” he stated.
Killer-labourer still on the run
As the bodies of the four Nkerefi women were laid to rest, over two months after their brutal murder, many of the mourners cried for justice so that their death would not be in vain. They expressed shock that the suspected assailant was still at large.
Unfortunately, the police have been unable to provide any information about his whereabouts. Spokesman of the Nigeria Police Command in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe who promised to find out the status of “police investigation” and get back to Saturday Sun could not help out after more than a week. President General of Nkerefi people, Dubem, suspected that the Nigerian factor might have come to play, especially as the victims were not related to influential people in the society. “The suspect escaped and has not been arrested. The two women that survived the attack identified the suspect; they said they knew him and before the people could apprehend him, he had run away.
“And you know Nigeria, the police could not do much. Once a big name or well-connected person is not involved, investigation dies a natural death,” he lamented. The traditional ruler, Igwe Okorie who expressed shock over the attack, said he would henceforth recalibrate the community’s security system. He said: “I can tell you that this young man who committed this atrocity is well known here. Though, he is a stranger, everyone knows him. Nobody has ever had any altercation of any kind with him in the community before this incident.
“So, henceforth, we will come all out against crystal meth (mkpurummiri) and begin to know the kind of people coming into this community. This tragedy will make us to have another look at things happening here and strangers coming here too.”
Saturday Sun learnt that the killer-labourer was among the three young men hired to work in a rice farm by a woman in the village.
While the woman and dozens of others were working in their various farms, the three young men also worked at the portions they were hired for. A village source said trouble started after the woman who hired the labourers gave them food around noon to eat and rest before they continued the work.
“It was after the three men had finished eating that the killer labourer excused himself to go to toilet. But this man remained in the bush for over 30 minutes, thereby raising suspicion among his colleagues that he might have gone to take mkpurummiri.” He stated that true to their suspicion, the young man emerged from the bush and began to charge like a bull and descended on the women with his machete.
The villager continued: “He instantly killed four women and severely wounded two others. Even the efforts by the two other labourers to stop him yielded little results as he was menacingly attacking the women.
“After killing the women, he ran away from the forest. When we heard about the tragedy, we made announcement through the town crier for everyone to look out for the assailant. But he was nowhere to be found up till this moment.”
One of the women at the funeral service, Martha Ogbu said the incident has put fear into her and other women farmers. She stated that they had before now suffered in the hands of rampaging herdsmen and when it was as if they had some reprieve, this incident happened.
“I am afraid to go to farm again, especially hiring any male labourer. Before now, our people had been attacked by herdsmen who after harming us also destroyed our farms. But this bloody attack came from somebody that had lived with us here. We are no longer safe. I don’t think I can still plant rice again,” she bemoaned.
