‘He disobeyed ritual rules’ claims native doctor whose overseas-bound client died in grave

Enuwa Odugu, a native doctor from Inyi community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, has claimed that the death of his client, Chikwado Eze, during a fortification ritual was due to the client’s failure to follow prescribed ritual rules.

Odugu, 48, speaking from police custody, noted that Eze was not the first client for whom he had performed such rituals. He maintained that the unfortunate incident resulted from the client’s disobedience.

Eze had recently secured a visa to travel abroad. He, however, died after being buried alive for one and a half hours during a fortification ritual meant to guarantee success in his business overseas.

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The Enugu State Police Command spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement, confirmed that both the native doctor and Eze’s father, Uwakwe Eze, along with other accomplices, have been arrested and the matter is under investigation.

The police statement further revealed that the native doctor had confessed to the crime.

The statement noted that Uwakwe Eze allegedly brought his 26-year-old son, Chikwado Celestine Eze, to the native doctor’s shrine for rituals to fortify him with charms. During the ritual, Chikwado was buried in a coffin but tragically died in the process.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his body has been deposited in a mortuary pending an autopsy. The police reported that the native doctor admitted to performing such rituals in the past but attributed Chikwado’s death to his failure to adhere to certain ritualistic rules.

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