The Cross River State Police Command has apprehended a 29-year-old man suspected of murdering his mother for alleged ritual purposes.
This development was confirmed by Irene Ugbo, the command’s spokesperson, during a briefing with reporters in Calabar on Friday.
Ugbo, a superintendent of police, acknowledged the suspect’s arrest and detention but withheld specific details about the case.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the incident occurred on December 25, 2024, in Batriko, Eastern Boki Local Government Area of the state.
A source familiar with the matter told NAN that the suspect was apprehended on Friday by a joint team of police officers and other security personnel from Obudu Local Government Area.
The suspect is alleged to have shaved his mother’s hair after her death, collected the hair, and disposed of her body in a well in Obudu.
The source further revealed that security operatives had been tracking him since the incident.
The suspect was reportedly detained alongside a native doctor after being found at the latter’s shrine with a bag containing his mother’s shaved hair.
Both individuals are now in custody at the Obudu Divisional Police Headquarters and are expected to be transferred to the state capital, Calabar, for further investigation.
“As of now, the suspect and the native doctor are being held at the Obudu Divisional Police Headquarters,” the source disclosed.
