Anambra: Police arrest 2, recover 3 corpses of relatives buried in shallow grave 

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

At least two persons have been arrested in connection to the recovery of bodies of three murdered relations in a shallow grave at Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government area, Anambra State.

It was gathered that the murdered relations were of same family according to imppecable inside sources

On a tip off to the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, of the state police command that the deceased were declared missing.

The operatives on the afternoon of 3rd May 2026, arrested one Emmanuel Nnabueze Nnakezie (male, aged 33 years) and Clement Nnaekezie (male, aged 69 years) following a painstaking investigation triggered by  the credible information on the sudden disappearance of the victims.

Acting on intelligence, the operatives reportedly trailed and apprehended the suspects in different locations at Oba and Ukpor respectively.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and led the Police to the site where the victims were buried in a shallow grave. 

The victims have been identified as Robert Nnakezie (male, 67 years), Ikechukwu Obi (male, 14 years), and Ukamaka Efione (female, 2 years), who was reportedly visiting during the school holidays.

The remains of the victims have been exhumed and deposited in a morgue for autopsy.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Tochukwu Ikenga (SP), preliminary investigations indicated that the heinous act may have resulted from a dispute over the ownership of a bitter kola tree and other inherited parcels of land.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has strongly condemned the act, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable. 

He assured the public that the Command remains committed to ensuring that justice is served.