Police in Anambra State have rescued two persons accused of ritual killings in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.
The victims, a male and a female being paraded naked in a viral video, were accused by irate mob of killing three persons in the area, and forced them to carry the corpses in a wheel barrow.
A male voice behind the video revealed that the duo had killed the deceased for money rituals before they were caught by residents of the area.
But Police Spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement, absolved the duo paraded in the video from the accusations, saying they were erroneously accused.
He clarified that the case was that of murder and not of ritual as alleged, adding that the deceased have been deposited in a morgue, while the victims were receiving treatment.
He said: “The Command operatives by 10 am yesterday 7/6/2023 rescued two victims and a suspect who were about to be lynched by an angry mob at the total junction, ihiala.
“To set the records straight, it is not a case of ritual killing, but a pure incident of murder. Preliminary information reveals that the two culprits a man and a woman who were humiliated and paraded as shown in the video by the angry mob were erroneously accused as they were seen at the scene where the murder took place.
“Also, both the suspect and victims are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. While the deceased has been deposited in a morgue.”
Ikenga said Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng had called for calm, while the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka for comprehensive investigations
