w How mum plotted with cleric to kidnap, torture son, leaving his two hands amputated
w My mum is architect of my woes; I need help, justice – Victim
By Ngozi Uwujare
The State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) of the Imo State Police Command has arrested an alleged fake priest, one 34-year-old Osinachi Makuo, and a 50-year-old woman, Maria Nwabueze, for allegedly kidnapping a young man who happens to be the woman’s own biological son!.
Madam Nwabueze was nabbed for kidnapping her son, Ikenga Ezenyi, 24. She thereafter took the young man to a church, Holy Sabbath Mission, where the young man was hanged on a tree for three days.
It was gathered that his feet were chained in the most inhuman condition by his abductors, until his palms became swollen and rotten, even as the flesh ruptured. He was subsequently rescued and taken to a hospital at Uzunamu Mgbidiorlu West Local Government Area of Imo State. Unfortunately by the time he was taken to the hospital, much damage had been done to his two hands. The hands were subsequently amputated.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Barde told Saturday Sun that it was the victim’s father, Mr Ike Ezenyi, that wrote a petition to the police commissioner in Imo State on January 27, 2023, where he complained about a certain fake priest and a woman who he accused of alleged conspiracy, abduction, causing grievous bodily harm on his only son and attempting to murder him.
“I had to order my police detectives to swing into action and they arrested the two suspects on February 3, 2023 at their hideout in Mgbidi, Orlu West Local Government Area of Imo State.
“The two suspects have confessed to their evil acts and proper investigation is going on,” the commissioner said.
One of the suspects, Osinachi Makuo, the suspected 34-year-old priest, informed Saturday Sun of his involvement in the matter.
His words: “I hail from Ehime in Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. I am a priest of Holy Sabbath Mission. I was never involved in any kidnapping of any person. I am a man of God. It was Madam Maria Nwabueze who kidnapped her own son and took him to my church. She said that her son was stubborn, and he needed prayers and deliverance.
“In a bid to deliver him, his two hands were tied to a tree for three days and his feet were chained. He was also tortured. Later, it was Madam Maria Nwabueze, his mother, that started pleading that we should release her son to her. We beat him and pleaded with him to change. We later released him to his mother. It was later that I heard that he was taken to hospital. I was shocked when police detectives came on February 3, 2023 and arrested me for kidnapping and that I was responsible for the amputation of the two hands of the victim, Ikenga Ezenyi. I want to tell you that I am innocent in this case. I want the police to investigate the matter properly.
Another suspect and the young man’s mother, 50-year-old, Maria Nwabueze told Saturday Sun: “I hail from Umuekwe in Mgbidi, Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State. I have been separated from my husband, Ike Ezenyi. I learnt that my son, Ikenga Ezenyi was so stubborn, so I arranged two people to kidnap my son along Oguta where he had gone to the market to buy foodstuff. I then took him to the priest of the church, the Holy Sabbath Mission for deliverance and prayers to change his life.
“When I took him to the church, the priest and a member of the church tied his two hands and hanged him on the tree for days. They were torturing him. When I went back and saw my son crying and begging for help, and promising that he would change, I was moved and I asked the priests to release my son to me, which they did.
“He was then taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, the torture had affected his two hands badly, and the hands had to be amputated. I didn’t plan evil for my son. I wanted to change his life and make him to be a good person in the society. That was what I did. I never knew that he would be tortured so badly to the extent that he would lose his two hands.”
Also speaking to Saturday Sun, the victim, still in pain, explained his ordeal in the hands of his mother and the priest. His words: “I hail from Omuehi Mgbidi, in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State. I attended Community Primary School and Secondary School, Umuehi, Mgbidi Orlu West Local Government Area. I dropped out from school in SSS2. I was disappointed by my mother who had separated from my father since December 26, 2000. My mother was not there for me. She was the one that arranged for her gang members to kidnap me along Oguta when I was going to buy foodstuff. They took me to a church, claiming that I am stubborn and I needed prayers and deliverance. But instead of praying for me, they tied my two hands and hanged me on tree for three days. I was also severely tortured and beaten to a state of coma. I didn’t eat or drink water for three days. I wa