Man buried alive over land dispute

 A community leader in Eziali village, Mgbidi community, Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, Chief Oliver Ononaku, has reportedly been buried alive over a land dispute.

The victim was said to have been abducted by unknown gunmen, suspected to be assassins, on December 27, last year.

It was learnt that no one heard anything about his whereabouts until his body was exhumed following the arrest of his suspected killers.

A police source, who spoke in confidence, told The Nation that the deceased had a land dispute with one of his kinsmen, who allegedly hired five kidnappers to abduct Onanaku from his home.

The source said the assailants allegedly killed and buried the community leader in Ozara, a neighbouring village, with the supervision of the man who hired them.

According to the source, the family reported the matter to the police immediately Ononaku was abducted, but efforts to contact the abductors failed.

It was learnt that the abductors, in apparent desperation to extort money from the victim’s family – though the victim had reportedly been killed – contacted the children and demanded N30 million ransom.

The children were said to have played along, on the advice of the police.

The source said: “The money was made available and the suspects told them where to put it. But a plain clothes policeman, who pretended to be a mad man, was planted where the ransom was dropped.

“When one of the suspects came out from the bush to collect the money, he was shot and arrested by the supposed mad man. The suspect confessed to committing the crime.

“It was his confession that led to the arrest of the man who hired them and other members of the gang. They led the police to where Ononaku was buried. His body was exhumed and deposited in a mortuary.”

Another community leader, Chief Iroku Nduka, who was in a pensive mood when our reporter visited the village, described the killing as an abomination.

He said: “We have never seen anything like this before: a man buried alive over a piece of land! We are appealing to the government to ensure that justice is done to calm frayed nerves. After this, the community will begin a cleansing ritual to avert the wrath of the gods.”
Culled from The Nation newspapers