Man connives with herbalist, poisons friend with acid

A man, who wanted to revamp his business through ritual, has been killed by his friend at Amuri, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The friend, Afam Ejima Nweke, was said to have contracted an herbalist, Victor Agyula and working together, the two men convinced the deceased, Mr. Sunday Onuorah Onwe to drink a fluid from a bottle. He was told that it was part of the ritual process.

He quickly drank it, unaware that it was acid. When he started screaming in pains, they allegedly poured more of the acid on his body and disappeared with his car and money.

The police source said: “Onwe died through the activities of those he contacted as herbalist to perform a ritual for him. The ritual was to revamp his business which was collapsing.”

The deceased was found by a Good Samaritan in the bush where Nweke and the herbalist abandoned him. Before he died, Onwe made a confessional statement to the police.

He spoke to operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Intelligence and Investigation Department of the Enugu.

The police source further said: “The deceased came from Aba to Enugu to meet with Nweke from Ozalla in Nkanu West Local Government Area Enugu State.  Nweke was already waiting with the herbalist, Agyula, from Alaede in Benue State, to perform the necessary rituals as agreed. Onwe wanted to stabilize his business.”

Nweke and Agyula met Onwe at a certain hotel located at Gariki Awkunanaw in Enugu State. The deceased booked the hotel for Nweke and Agyula.

The police said: “Consequently, all of them, including Onwe, moved out early in the morning to a bush at Ozalla, along Enugu Port Harcourt Expressway for the ritual. It was there that the deceased was made to drink a liquid concoction suspected to have been prepared with acid. They later stripped him and poured the remaining liquid on him.

“He became unconscious and fell down. Nweke and Agyula, thinking Onwe was dead, made away with his Toyota Avalon car, his handsets and the sum of N430, 000 which he brought down from Aba out of the sales he made the previous day.”

Onwe was rescued by a good Nigeria who ran into him while he was lying helplessly on the ground and groaning in pains. The man rushed him to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. It was at the hospital he was able to narrate his ordeal. When the doctors noticed that he was getting weaker, Onwe was referred to National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu, where he died.

Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the story, said the command trailed and nailed Nweke.

Amaraizu said: “Nweke was investigated and later arraigned before a law court for conspiracy and murder and currently on remand while the herbalist, Agyula, was trailed to Benue State.”