Benue community thrown into shock as man beheads step mother for ritual purposes

OBAGANYA community in Oturkpo Local Government Area of Benue State has been thrown into a state of mourning after a gruesome murder during which a local middle-aged man Echeno Adakole beheaded his 50-year-old step-mother Titi Enokela for ritual purposes.

 

In the first such case of its kind within the community, Mr Adakole was said to have ambushed the victim at a family farm settlement, during which he hit her with a piece of wood and cut off her head. He thereafter wrapped the head with the dead woman’s clothing and put it in a polyethylene bag.

 

One family source said: “Family members noticed that the woman had not returned from the farm and it was getting dark. Her children and other family members went looking for her and they then found her headless body tucked away in a corner of the family farm.

 

“They all raced back home wailing and crying for help, only to discover the severed head of the woman with her step-son, who was acting strange and making moves to flee from home. As a result of tension in the community, the police area command hurriedly moved the suspect out of the area to the state command headquarters in Makurdi.”

 

According to the source, the suspect was held by a mob, who attempted to lynch him but for the quick intervention of police, who took him away. Assistant Superintendent Moses Yamu, the Benue State Police Command spokesman confirmed the incident, adding that they were still investigating the matter.