Man machetes sister-in-law, 2 others to death in Ebonyi

A young man, identified as Chibuike Ochie, who hails from Uburu community, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on Sunday, killed his sister-in-law, her younger sister and a hired labourer on their farmland.

Chibuike, it was gathered, got to their farmland, went berserk and started inflicting machete injuries on everybody he found there.

It was learnt that in the process, he killed his sister-in-law, her younger sister and the hired labourer.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident, on Monday.

According to Odah, investigations were still ongoing to ascertain exactly what caused the attack and killing of the three persons by their own brother.

She, however, cautioned youths in the area to be careful and refrain from taking laws into their hands.

According to Odah, “It was reported that by 16.40hrs of 24th of October, 2021, when the family of Ochie were in the farm, including a hired labourer that was working for them on that particular day, one of their brothers, Chibuike Ochie, went into the farm and suddenly started matcheting them.

“He succeeded in matcheting Ogechi Ochie (32 years old), who was said to be the wife of his elder brother and the younger sister, Margaret Ochie, and the said labourer. The three of them were matcheted to death on that farm and he escaped.

“In the process of fleeing the scene, irate youths of that area caught and mobbed him. As I’m talking to you now, he is still critically sick to the extent that he is living on a life support machine.

“The incident took place at Obegu farm in Uburu. According to the DPO who visited the place, he said the farmland is about 25km away from Uburu town.”

“Investigation is still on, but it will be properly conducted when this man survives.

“That is why we keep discouraging the youth from taking laws into their hands especially when a person committed an offence like this. If they had brought the person to us, he would have told us the reasons he had to do this to his family members and he would have faced the law. But in this case, a lot of money is being spent to revive this person.