Police nab a fake prophet and a 50-year-old mother for attempting to kill someone.
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Imo State Police Command have arrested a 34-year-old self-proclaimed prophet, Osinachi Makuo, and his 50-year-old mother for attempting to kill someone.
In a statement, ASP Henry Okoye, the spokesman for the state police command, said their arrest was in response to a petition of conspiracy, kidnapping, attempted murder/causing grievous bodily harm to a person filed with the Imo State Commissioner of Police by one Ike Ezenyi of Umuehi Mgbidi in Oru West LGA, Imo State, who is the father of a 24-year-old man named Ikenga Ezenyi.
Okoye said that when the Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammade Barde, received the petition, he quickly ordered detectives from the state CIID to investigate the matter in detail.
He said the astute and interested detectives acted quickly and arrested the suspects, but that the followers of the self-proclaimed prophet were still at large.
He said investigation revealed that both suspects worked together to abduct Ikenga Ezenyi. I took him to a holy sabbath mission at Uzunamu Mgbidi in Orlu L.G.A for prayers and deliverance where both his hands were tied to a tree for three days and his feet were chained.
The PPRO said the suspect tortured the victim badly and inhumanely until both his hands were swollen, smelly and had holes in the flesh. His father and some youths from the Uzunamu community rescued him and took him to the hospital for treatment. He said the victim had been treated so badly that his palms had to be cut off at the hospital to save his life.
A police spokesman said the suspects would be charged to court after investigation.
Okoye said that CP Mohammed Ahmed, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, had warned the people of the state to be wary of criminals who masquerade as prophets and prophetesses, prayer warriors and healing houses to perpetrate terrible crimes in the state. He said the police boss has also promised to unravel all similar crimes in the state. He also told the good people of the state not to be afraid to call the police or the command to report any strange behaviour or other crimes in the state.