By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two suspects over the gruesome killing of three members of the same family in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, in what has been described as a fatal fallout of a family dispute.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who revealed that the arrests followed a painstaking investigation launched after the sudden disappearance of the victims.
According to the statement, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended the suspects, identified as Emmanuel Nnabueze Nnakezie (male, aged 33) and Clement Nnaekezie (male, aged 69). The suspects were said to have been apprehended on May 3, 2026, in separate locations at Oba and Ukpor respectively.
The Police Spokesman said the suspects, during interrogation, confessed to the crime and subsequently led operatives to a shallow grave where the victims had been secretly buried.
The victims were identified as Robert Nnakezie (male, aged 67); Ikechukwu Obi (male, aged 14); and most painfully, Ukamaka Efione (a 2-year-old girl) who said to have been visiting the family during the school holidays.
Their dead bodies, the Police said, have been exhumed and deposited in a morgue for autopsy as part of ongoing investigations.
Preliminary findings, according to the press statement, indicate that the killings may have stemmed from a dispute over the ownership of a bitter kola tree and other inherited family land, which reportedly escalated into fatal violence.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikioye Orutugu, condemned the act, describing it as barbaric, senseless, and wholly unacceptable. He assured that the Command would pursue the case to its logical conclusion to ensure that justice is served.
The Command further reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to support security agencies with timely and credible information.
