The Ebonyi State Police Command has brought a 30-year-old man, Oforbuike Okoro, before Magistrate Court II in Abakaliki over the alleged killing of his mother.
The suspect was earlier arrested this month in connection with the death of his mother, Onyema Damian, in Ukawu, located in Onicha Local Government Area.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, preliminary findings indicated that the suspect carried out the act after his mother refused to bathe him. The suspect allegedly believed the act formed part of a ritual for wealth.
Ukandu also disclosed that within March, the Command arraigned four other individuals in separate murder cases. They include Onyebuchi Eze, Eze Nwuke, Oko Odinaka Emmanuel, and Uchenna Ota. He described the pattern of killings as alarming.
The spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police, Hope Urunwa Okafor, had raised concern over the rising cases of homicide. He urged residents to avoid taking the law into their own hands and encouraged them to report disputes to security agencies.
Okafor stressed that murder is a serious offence against humanity and carries severe consequences. He assured members of the public that the Command remains accessible and ready to respond to complaints.
At the court, the defendant pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of murder.
The Police Prosecutor, David Njoku, told the court that the incident occurred on March 19, 2026, at Ohatekwe in Ukawu. He alleged that the defendant stabbed his mother in the back with a knife, which led to her death.
He said, “The offence is punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009.”
The defendant, who had no lawyer, admitted responsibility but said he could not fully explain his actions.
“I don’t know what really happened, but I can remember that I killed her over her refusal to bathe me,” he said.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Chinedu Agama, ordered that the suspect be remanded in a correctional facility. He noted that the court does not have jurisdiction to try the matter.
He directed that the case file and exhibits be forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution for advice and fixed April 9 for further mention of the case.
