The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two brothers in connection with the murder of three members of the same family, allegedly over a bitter kola tree and inherited land. The suspects, Emmanuel Nwabueze Nnaekezie, 33, and his elder brother Clement Nnaekezie, 69, are accused of killing the victims and burying them in a shallow grave at Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area.
Victims Identified
Police Public Relations Officer Tochukwu Ikenga named the deceased as Robert Nnakezie, 67; Ikechukwu Obi, 14; and Ukamaka Efione, 2, who was reportedly visiting during school holidays. The suspects allegedly disappeared after the incident but were later apprehended at different locations in the state.
Arrest and Confession
Ikenga stated that acting on intelligence, operatives trailed and arrested the suspects in Oba and Ukpor respectively. During interrogation, the brothers confessed to the crime and led police to the shallow grave where the bodies were buried. The remains have been exhumed and deposited in a morgue for autopsy.
Dispute Over Bitter Kola Tree
Preliminary investigations suggest the murders stemmed from a dispute over ownership of a bitter kola tree and other inherited parcels of land. The Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, strongly condemned the act, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable, and assured the public that justice would be served.
