BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A 23-year-old man, David Nwori, has been remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre, Ebonyi State, for allegedly slaughtering and setting his own father ablaze.
Nwori, a native of Igweledoha Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state, was reported to have hacked the old man to death on August 5, 2021.
The suspect, who is standing trial in a murder case marked MAB/543c/202, said that he was manipulated by an evil force to kill his own father in his sleep.
He said that the spirit that pushed him to the evil act deserted him shortly after accomplishing the mission.
According to him, he was able to carry out the mission unhindered because he was home alone with his 75-year-old father on the fateful day.
Nwori disclosed that he butchered the man at night with the cutlass which he (the suspect), used for farming, and then set him ablaze on the orders of the spirit that took hold of him.
He said that when he was jolted to reality minutes after, he immediately raised the alarm for neighbours to help him rescue his dying father.
He said that the strange spirit took hold of him again and ordered him to commit suicide by jumping into a mining pit which was filled with water, beside the house.
However, he was reportedly held down by the village youths and handed over to the police. He later pleaded to be allowed to undergo deliverance in order to be free from the spell that led him to commit the evil act.
The charge against him reads “that David Nwori, on the 5th of August 2021, at Igweledoha Ishieke did caused the death of Nwori Onwe, aged 75, by matcheting him to death and setting him ablaze, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
The suspect had no legal representation in court.
The trial magistrate, Ngozi Ngele, ordered that the suspect be remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre till the next adjourned date for lack of competence to hear his case.
The magistrate directed that all documents relating to the case should be forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution for advice.
