The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a young man who allegedly killed his mother, grandma, sister and nephew through food poisoning in a quest for money ritual through what they called “Okeite.”

Although the incident reportedly happened in September 2024, Amaeze in Nsukka town, he was picked and handed over to the police on Tuesday after a local mob paraded and forced him to go to the grave of his mother and asked for forgiveness.

Reacting to the incident in a statement on Thursday, human rights organisation, Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) called on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that all those involved in murder are arrested, and also investigate the so-called native doctor and all who were implicated in the crime.

“This young man did not act alone. Some people lured him into committing this atrocity. The police should arrest and investigate the so-called native doctor and all who were implicated in this crime,” it said.

Condemning the horrific incident, AfAW in the statement signed by its Director, Dr Leo Igwe, enjoined the public to abandon belief in Okeite or money ritual and embrace evidence-based means of earning money or achieving success.

The organisation described the Okeite money ritual as a scam that some self-styled native doctors and diviners carry out. “The belief is that people could become rich through magical means after performing certain rituals using Ite (pots). These so-called diviners instruct seekers of ritual money to pay huge sums of money according to the size of the pot.

“They ask them to indulge in certain acts including murder or having sex with mentally challenged persons. Prospective ritualists are told to murder their relatives including their parents or siblings, or to bring human body parts.”

Citing a post by one Sen Chijinkem Ugwuanyi on Facebook, the young man from Amaeze in Nsukka, killed four people including his Mom, grandmother, sister, and sister’s child through food poisoning in his quest to make easy money called Okeite.

“According to the post, this guy committed this crime after a friend lured him to indulge in Okeite. The friend took him to a native doctor in the Agbani area in Nsukka. The so-called native doctor instructed him to poison and kill his mother. On the day he was told to carry out this dastardly act, the grandmother and other relatives including a child visited.

“He poisoned their food and they all ate the food and died. According to the Facebook post, one of the people who ate the food, a 9-year-old, survived. The young man who poisoned family members confessed to the crime and asked for forgiveness. In a video that was posted on Facebook, a local mob paraded and forced him to go to the grave of the mother and asked for forgiveness.”

Igwe, however, noted that AfAW contacted Mr Ugwuanyi for more information but was directed to a contact in Nsukka. “The local contact confirmed the incident. He stated that the Okeite ritualist was in police custody, at the state CID in Enugu.

“AfAW will pressure the police to carry out a thorough investigation. It will work with local contacts to support the child who survived this vicious act. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches condemns this horrific incident and urges the police to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

“This young man did not act alone. Some people lured him into committing this atrocity. The police should arrest and investigate the so-called native doctor and all who were implicated in this crime.

AfAW declares that the Okeite money ritual is a scam.

Mischievous individuals use this scheme to extort money from gullible youths and others who want to get rich or succeed in business.

The Okeite money belief has no basis in reason or reality.

“Human or ritual sacrifice cannot make anybody rich or successful as popularly believed. As this case shows, the belief predisposes ritual money seekers to exploitation. The belief motivates them to commit atrocities.

“The Advocacy for Alleged Witches enjoins the public to abandon belief in Okeite or money ritual and embrace evidence-based means of earning money or achieving success,” the statement partly read.

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ efforts to get the reaction of the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls.

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