Another Otokoto incident has again played out in Imo, this time in a town outskirt of the state capital Owerri. The ugly incident took place in Ezuru Umuagwu village in Ejemekwuru autonomous community of Oguta LGA was discovered by the Ambush Squad of the Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command.
It was discovered on 11th May 2013 that the corpse of a 78 year-old woman, Mrs Lucy Osigweh who was earlier declared missing in 2003 was laying dried in a large wardrobe inside a private shrine in a circumstance depicting ritual practices in one of the rooms of the woman’s son, Chief Dr Chimezie Bede Osigwe, a 64 year-old retired school principal who has been a strong believer and member of Guru Maharaji Sect. It was revealed that the embalmed body has been in that condition for about 10 years.
Upon his arrest by the police, the suspect, Chief Osigweh took the police and the press inside his private shrine where he explained was a place to consult with his perfect master/god guru maharaji and not for unholy people. In the place, there was a picture/portrait of Guru maharaji placed on top of a small table covered with cloth, where he described as the holy alter, a chair covered also with red cloth which he referred to as golden chair and other items depicting ritual practice items. He also showcases a small item in front of his house that he uses for protection as he has escaped about three assassin attempts.
Preliminary assessment of the scene of crime by the police reveals that the woman must have been murdered by the son for ritual purpose where members of the sect used to hold secret nocturnal meeting to enhance their occult powers, the principal suspect, Chief Dr Chimezie Osigwe has been making useful statement since his arrest.
When detectives from the command with journalists arrived, the red cloth wearing man took the team into the temple. After showing the dried corpse of the mother, police requested him to bring the corpse along which was put inside a police Hilux vehicle alongside other suspects, a couple to state headquarters for further interrogation. About 20 Hilux patrol vehicles loaded with armed policemen were part of the team.
Some of the villages who spoke to newsmen expressed shock over the ugly and wicked act of a man as civilized as Dr Osigweh a retired school principal. They also revealed that the suspect had earlier lied to his kinsmen that his mother travelled abroad for medical attention as some of his siblings are based abroad, and to avert more interrogation/questions of his mother’s where about from the villagers, he personally ex-communicated himself from the rest of the villagers.
They went further to accuse the suspect of using diabolical powers to destroy the interest of his sibling who are based abroad from coming home and even remembering home. They also decried the shame and embarrassment this singular act has brought to their quiet and peaceful village.
