- My enemies planted the bodies to implicate me – Suspect
In the usually tranquil community of Umuojor in Umumba Ndiagu, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, a sense of dread settled over the residents like a shroud.
The nightmare began on Monday, precisely on May 26, 2025, when a young girl was kidnapped while accompanying her father to the farm.
The kidnappers, posing as stranded motorcyclists, deceived the girl’s father and abducted her.
A vigilante, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “She was walking with her father to the farm on Monday when two men riding on a motorcycle stopped and pretended that their motorcycle had developed faults.
“One of the men told the father of the little girl to help them with his cutlass to fix the fault in the motorcycle, which the man obliged. They said the fault would require pushing the bike and begged him to also help. It was in this process that one of the men grabbed the girl, jumped onto the motorcycle, and zoomed off.”
An alarm raised by the girl’s father was said to have attracted the vigilantes, who launched a search operation in the area.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the search party tried in vain to find the missing girl.
The air was thick with tension as the community held its breath, praying for the safe return of the girl, said to be 13-year-old.
Then, a chilling discovery was made.
Some villagers reported hearing loud cries from a bush near the compound of a native doctor, Levi Obieze, popularly known as Ezeani or ‘E de play, e de show’.
The vigilante team, sensing something was terribly wrong, stormed the premises.
“A search of the compound led to the discovery of two decomposing corpses of pregnant women in different soakaway pits,” the vigilante stated, his words dripping with horror.
Soon, the community erupted into chaos as the news spread like wildfire.
The people of Umuojor were shocked and horrified by the revelation, as many demanded justice for the victims.
A viral video of the incident seen by Saturday PUNCH showed a suspect stripped naked and being dragged on the floor by irate community members.
In a swift response, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State directed immediate demolition of the building.
“We will not tolerate such crimes in our state,” the governor’s action seemed to say, as the wrecking ball swung into action, reducing the shrine of horrors to rubble.
A video clip of the demolition obtained by Saturday PUNCH showed one of the two-storey buildings being demolished by excavators.
A voice was overheard in the video saying, “This is one of the buildings used for kidnappings in Ezeagu, Ụmụmba Ndiagu, and tonight this building is going down as directed by His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah. Enugu State has zero tolerance for any form of criminality.”
Native doctors disown Ezeani
The native doctors in Ezeagu denounced Ezeani, stating that he was not one of them.
During a peaceful march, on Wednesday, they said, “Ezeani is not our member. You don’t use guns to do native doctor. He is a money ritualist and not a native doctor. Those shooting guns cannot be claiming that they’re native doctors. All the killers, ritualists, evil-doers, and criminals should leave Ezeagu for us.
“We use herbs and shrubs to heal people. We give herbs that help women conceive children; we don’t kill women with their pregnancy. It is an abomination.”
As the dust settled, the police revealed that two individuals alleged to be working with Obieze had been arrested and were in custody.
The suspects, who were believed to have played key roles in the kidnap and suspected ritual killings, are said to be cooperating with the authorities.
But the story didn’t end there.
One of the victims was identified as a secondary school student who went missing on May 1, 2025.
His colleagues from Community Secondary School, Umana Ndi-Agu, stormed the now-demolished house, raining curses on the land.
“So sad: Students rain curses on Enugu ritualist for killing their school mate as one of the students was recognised in pit,” a Facebook user, Johnson Onyekachi, wrote.
“This is the student of C.S.S Umana Ndi-Agu that was kidnapped and found dead at one of the pits in the house of the dreaded ritualist, Eze-Ani, popularly known as E DEY PLAY E DEY SHOW.
“And today his fellow students were at the deserted house of Eze-Ani to lay curses upon the ritualist that killed one of them.
“The student was kidnapped last week on his way home after an exam and was found dead in one of the pits. It shall never be well with this man.”
The Enugu State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that operatives attached to the Umumba division, in collaboration with Neighbourhood Watch personnel and vigilant community members, had successfully rescued the 13-year-old girl.
“The operation also led to the arrest of three male suspects connected to the crime,” SP Daniel Ndukwe, the command’s spokesperson, added.
He identified the suspects as Uche Agumba, 33; Ilo Onyedikachi, 36; and Ejike Odinwankpa, 38.
The prime suspect, identified as High Chief Levi Obu, aka Ezeani and E-Dey-Play-E-Dey-Show, a native doctor and prominent member of the community, reportedly fled the scene.
The PPRO explained that during the rescue, “two decomposing bodies, one male and one female, were discovered buried in a concrete-sealed pit within an uncompleted building, owned and used as a shrine, and heinous criminal activities by the fleeing prime suspect.”
“Investigations reveal that the deceased victims were recently murdered and buried in the pit by the suspects for ritual purposes, and the rescued child was moments away from suffering the same fate before the timely intervention.
“In line with its laws, the Enugu State Government has demolished the buildings owned by the fleeing prime suspect and used for the criminal enterprise,” Ndukwe added.
My enemies planted the bodies — Suspect
Obieze, the alleged mastermind of the rituals, was caught on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
The Nigerian Immigration Service announced his arrest at Gbaji checkpoint along the Badagry-Seme Road. He was said to be attempting to flee the country on a motorcycle when he was arrested.
“He is currently in custody, and his identity has been confirmed through a National Identity Management Commission enrolment slip found in his possession,” ACI AS Akinlabi, the NIS Public Relations Officer, stated.
But the suspect, in an interrogation video seen by Saturday PUNCH, said he was innocent.
While describing himself as a businessman, he said he was being framed up because some villagers did not want him to become a king.
Asked if he was a native doctor, he said, “no”.
He said, “As I am talking to you now, I am homeless. They demolished my house.
“Because of this kingship issue, they set me up with someone that was working for them and planted things in my soakaway. I had already answered to these issues before. The person that did it was caught and arrested.
“I am a businessman. I sell Okrika (secondhand clothes). I reside in Benin Republic. I have my ID card.”
Search for justice
As investigation continues, the people of Umuojor community can finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the perpetrators will face the full wrath of the law.
The sequence of events serves as a grim reminder of the horrors that lurk in the shadows, but also of the power of vigilance and collaboration with security agencies.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, with many calling for stricter measures to regulate the activities of native doctors in the state.
A resident, Nnamdi Onyia, urged Governor Mbah to investigate the activities of traditionalists in the state and verify their sources of power and income.
As the state moves forward, one thing is certain — the people of Enugu will not rest until justice is served, and those responsible for the heinous crimes are held accountable.
