The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of three members of the same family, whose bodies were discovered in a shallow grave in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area.
Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, carried out the arrests on May 3, 2026, following an investigation prompted by reports of the victims’ sudden disappearance.
The suspects, identified as Emmanuel Nnabueze Nnakezie, 33, and Clement Nnaekezie, 69, were apprehended in separate operations in Oba and Ukpor.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, the arrests were made based on credible intelligence that led operatives to track the suspects to their respective locations.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to the crime and subsequently led police to the burial site, where the victims were found in a shallow grave.
The victims have been identified as Robert Nnakezie, 67; Ikechukwu Obi, 14; and Ukamaka Efione, 2, who was said to be visiting the family during the school holidays.
Police said the bodies have been exhumed and deposited in a morgue for autopsy as investigations continue.Preliminary findings suggest that the killings may have stemmed from a dispute over the ownership of a bitter kola tree and other inherited family land.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, condemned the act, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable.
He assured residents that the command is committed to ensuring justice is served.
Writing by Uche Ndeke