Man Arrested For Murdering And Beheading 65-Year-Old Aunt As Part Of Occult Rituals

Vigilantes in the Cross River State of Nigeria apprehended 24-year-old Christian Edem Eyo. Eyo, whose alias is Etebong, murdered his aunt in the early hours of Wednesday, June 23. He was spotted trying to hide the body. Following the suspect’s arrest, 65-year-old Uduak Effiong's head was found in the suspect’s home. Police are investigating the murder.

The victim and the suspect are reportedly related. Effiong and Eyo lived in separate apartments in the same compound. The victim lived with her two children.

Around 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Effiong had gone to take a bath. She was attacked by the suspect. After the murder, Eyo decapitated his aunt. He buried the body in a shallow grave in the compound. The decapitated head was carried back into his home. He had reportedly dug two 10-foot-deep graves inside his home. In one of the graves, he buried the dead woman’s head, The Vanguard reported.

Eyo did not get away with his crime as he was spotted trying to bury the woman’s body. The Leadership reported that a group of worshippers in the neighboring compound of the home in Inyang Street, Calabar saw the incident. They reported it to a local vigilante group. The vigilantes alerted the police before apprehending the accused.

The victim’s daughter, Nkoyo, was awakened by the commotion caused by the vigilantes. She heard that someone had been killed in the compound. Eyo reportedly confessed in front of everyone gathered that he had killed Effiong.

When the police arrived, they had to fire shots in the air to disperse the crowd. When they tried to arrest the accused, he attacked the police officers with a machete. He managed to injure one of the officers. Eyo was eventually taken into custody and initiated an investigation. Bloodstains were found near the grave where the body was buried. Bloodstains were also found inside the accused’s home. The woman’s decapitated corpse, as well as the head, were recovered.

Inside Eyo’s home, police found items used in occult rituals. Eyo also reportedly said that the two graves inside his home are where he got power from, The Nation reported. The neighbors accused the suspect of practicing occult rituals.

The suspect remains in police custody as the investigation continues.