A tragic incident in Enugu State has left a community in shock after an Onitsha-based businessman, Chikwado Eze, died during a ritual meant to enhance his fortunes ahead of a planned business trip abroad.
The incident occurred in Inyi, a community within the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, sparking arrests and police investigations.
Eze, who hailed from the Ugbaike community in the same local council area, had recently secured a visa to travel overseas for business purposes. Hoping for spiritual fortification to increase his luck and success, he sought the services of a native doctor in Inyi. According to local sources, the native doctor prescribed an unusual and dangerous ritual that required Eze to be temporarily buried alive for an hour and a half.
On the day of the fatal incident, Eze arrived at the native doctor’s residence with his biological father, Uwakwe, and several guests. After initial merriment and preparations, the native doctor asked everyone, including Eze’s father, to leave the ritual site, leaving only himself and Eze to carry out the final stage of the process. Eyewitnesses recounted that Eze was lowered into a grave and covered with earth as part of the ritual, which was meant to last for exactly 90 minutes.
However, when the time elapsed, the situation took a fatal turn. Upon exhuming Eze, instead of being spiritually fortified as expected, he was found unresponsive, drenched in sweat, and visibly weak. Witnesses report that the native doctor attempted to revive him using incantations and other means, but all efforts failed.
In a desperate attempt to save him, Eze was rushed to a hospital in Ogrute, the local government headquarters, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. His death has not only devastated his family but also raised alarm within the community, leading to the swift involvement of law enforcement.
The Enugu State Police Command has since arrested both Eze’s father and the native doctor for questioning. The father, Uwakwe, had a controversial past within their Ugbaike community, where he had previously been ostracized for his alleged involvement in dangerous charms and occult practices. Despite this, he denied having forced his son into the ritual, stating that Chikwado had already arranged for the ceremony and purchased all the necessary ritual items before inviting him to participate.
The death has sent shockwaves through the community, with many expressing disbelief at the tragic outcome of what was supposed to be a spiritual boost for the young businessman’s career. Community leaders and residents are now calling for a thorough investigation, hoping that the circumstances of Eze’s death will be fully uncovered and justice served.
The incident also raises broader concerns about the increasing reliance on dangerous rituals and occult practices for success and prosperity in some communities. Local authorities have urged people to refrain from engaging in harmful spiritual practices, especially those that involve human endangerment, as the tragic consequences could be dire.
The investigation into the exact cause of Eze’s death is ongoing, with the police yet to determine if more individuals may be implicated in the fatal ritual. The native doctor and the businessman’s father remain in police custody pending further inquiries.
