Suspected Ritualists Behead Imo Palm Wine Tapper, Harvest Genitals

By Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

A palm wine tapper in Ahaba village in Orodo Community in Mbaitoli council area of Imo State, Israel Iheanacho, has been beheaded by suspected ritualists in the area.

Iheanacho’s headless body was found Thursday morning by villagers attending morning mass in the community.

He was said to have been attacked and brutally killed along a bush part in Ahaba Orodo Community.

The killers suspected to be ritualists beheaded the victim and reportedly harvested some of his organs including his manhood.

The corpse was left along the bush path with the man’s bicycle beside his corpse.

The incident which happened around 9. 00 pm on Tuesday night caused panic in the community in Wednesday.

A community source told our correspondent that the victim had gone to a nearby medicine shop in the community to buy drugs.

A source disclosed that while the victim was coming back, his killers waylaid him, pushed him into a bush, beheaded him and cut off his penis and scrotum.

The development had elicited outcry in the community as many had questioned why the palm tapper could be killed in such a pitiable manner.

The source said “Mr Israel Iheanacho, a Palm tapper in our community was on Tuesday night beheaded. His manhood was also taken away. This is very unfortunate.

“As I speak to you, our community is in huge confusion. His headless body had been deposited at a nearby morgue. Policemen have come and taken records. This is indeed very unfortunate.”

When contacted, a spokesperson of the State Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the incident.

He however disclosed that the state commissioner of Police, Nasiru Muhammed, had ordered an investigation into the murder incident.

– The Nation