Residents of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State were thrown into shock after two brothers allegedly murdered their elder sibling and buried him in a shallow grave within their compound.
The suspects, identified as Lucky and Uzoma Amadi, were arrested by the police on Tuesday over the killing of their elder brother, Orindu. The incident occurred at Umuokpi kindred in Umuchimanyiri village, Obazu Mbieri.
Sources said the crime sparked outrage in the community, prompting angry youths to storm the suspects’ residence. The youths reportedly forced them to exhume the remains of the victim from a shallow grave where he had been buried in an attempt to conceal the crime.
The decomposed remains were recovered before officers from the Mbieri Divisional Police Headquarters intervened and rescued the suspects from mob action. The police subsequently took the suspects into custody along with relevant exhibits and the victim’s remains.
According to community members, the suspects had earlier told villagers that their elder brother had travelled, a claim now believed to have been an attempt to cover up the alleged murder.
One of the suspects reportedly claimed that the deceased was responsible for their father’s death years ago.
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, had yet to release an official statement on the incident.
Meanwhile, residents are calling on law enforcement authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure justice is served.
