Missing Woman Found 10 Years Later, Dead In Son’s Cupboard

The Imo State Police Command has recovered
the body of a 78-year-old woman, Mrs. Lucy
Osigweh, who was declared missing in 2003.
The state's Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Mohammed Katsina, disclosed yesterday that
the woman's lifeless body was found in a large
cupboard inside a shrine located in her son's
private room.
"The missing woman's lifeless body was found
in a village called Ezuru Umuagwu, Ejemekwuru,
Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State,"
Katsina said.
"The corpse of the 78-year-old Mrs. Osigweh,
earlier declared missing in 2003, was found in a
large cupboard inside a shrine of a private room
in a circumstance depicting ritual practice.
"The embalmed body, which was kept in that
condition for about 10 years, was believed to
have been placed in the warehouse by her son,
Chief Chimezie Osigweh, a 64-year-old retired
school principal."
Katsina said there was every reason to believe
that the late woman's son is a member of a
cult, adding: "Preliminary assessment of the
scene of crime revealed that the late woman
must have been murdered by her son for ritual purpose."
The Commissioner of police also said members
of the cult used to hold secret meetings at night
in the place, to enhance their occultic powers.
"The principal suspect, Chief Chimezie Osigweh,
who is the son of the woman, has been arrested
and is making useful statement to the police,"
the CP said.
Katsina did not say how the police got wind of
the crime, but sources reveal the late woman's
family from Amakohia, Awa, Oguta local council
area, might have made the startling discovery
and reported to the police.
A villager from Amakohia who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said that some villagers
decided to double check earlier stories told by
Osigweh of the inexplicable disappearance of
their relation from her marital home.
"On getting to Ejemekwuru, our people
demanded to know why their relations had
remained missing for 10 years. Her son told our
villagers that his mother was mad at a point and
ran away to unknown place.
"Apparently not satisfied with the response, as
well as the nonchalant attitude allegedly
exhibited by her son, the villagers went beserk,
destroying things in sight and ended up spotting
the large cupboard containing the remains of
their loved one.
"With this startling discovery, the villagers
quickly lodged a complaint with the police who
subsequently swung into action," another
villager disclosed.