A man simply identified as Mgida from Ahaba, Orodo Community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, has been caught for allegedly killing and beheading of over six persons within and outside the community.

The Guardiangathered that the suspect, who is in his late 30s, was apprehended yesterday by youths of the community while attempting to kill two more persons working on their farms.

An indigene, who spoke with our reporter on the basis of anonymity, said that the suspect, who had been on a killing spree in the community for the past three years, uses cutlass to perpetrate the heinous act. He said the suspect could be mentally deranged since his elder brother suffers the same challenge and the sickness runs in their lineage. “And because every attempt to apprehend him over the past few years has been unsuccessful, people assumed it was a ghost or that the perpetrator used charms to disappear after each killing.

“But we are most worried because he always beheaded his victims after killing them. So, where he keeps the heads and what he does with them is yet to be unravelled.

“Two persons he injured in his latest attempt in Umuonyiahu Orodo are currently receiving medical treatment at the hospital, while we still hope to know his mission for the killings.

“Even now that they said he has been caught, we are still afraid if he is actually the one or if there is another person behind the killings.”
Another indigene added: “The killing did not start today. We have been experiencing it for the past three years. Over six persons have been killed in similar manner in separate occasions.

“Ever since then, our traditional leaders have been consulting oracles and making other efforts to unravel the source of the killings till today.”

The Guardianalso gathered that the suspect escaped lynching by irate youths because of the timely intervention of the local security personnel, who took him and handed him over to the police for further investigation and persecution.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mike Abattam, neither confirmed nor denied the incident. He said the police were yet to get an official report on the incident.

“Sincerely speaking, we don’t have an official report of such. The police stations and area command are there but nobody has reported anything of such.”

•Source:The Guardian: (Text, excluding headline)