Some suspected cultists reportedly killed a mentally deranged man in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Sunday.
A source who spoke with journalists on condition of anonymity disclosed that the deceased, well-known in the Zik Avenue part of Awka, was at his usual spot at Dike Park when the men attacked him.
“The cultists expended many bullets on him, but the bullets couldn’t penetrate him.
“They resorted to stabbing him, but all attempts failed. They decided to use cutlasses on him, even stoning him, until he gave up, and the men left immediately,” the source narrated.
Reports revealed that the cultists went after him because of his alleged involvement in cultism before his mental illness started. It was, however, not clear why he was targeted, especially as he had become deranged.
“Some people suspect that the man was not mad but was just pretending, but it is obvious that he was mad because he even eats his own excreta.
“They say he used to be a cultist before he went mad. No one knows why he went mad, but you know these cultists—once you are committed, you are committed, and they must come for you,” he added.
Confirming the incident, the Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the DPO of Central Police Station in Awka deployed men promptly to the scene.
“The DPO immediately swung into action, retrieved the corpse, and deposited it in a mortuary.
“I cannot confirm that the man was mad, but when the family comes for the corpse, we will be able to ascertain the mental health of the deceased man.
“For now, police are liaising with eyewitnesses to ensure that the perpetrators are tracked and arrested,” he said.
Sources disclosed that the deceased man was an indigene of Enugu State.
“He was a bad guy, and he used many charms to protect himself. It is obvious that the charms he used when he was sane were what protected him during the period of his insanity. That was why bullets and stabbings could not penetrate him.
“He did those things while he was sane, and since he went mad, the charms were still working.
“You know that most of these charms mostly abhor sex, but because he is mad and has not been meeting women, even though he was mad, the charms remained potent,” a source said.
Cult-related killings have been rife in Awka for a long time. This has been attributed to a power tussle among rival groups within the state capital.
According to reports, a musician was last week shot dead at the gate of his house, while a revenue agent was shot dead at the popular Eke Awka market in July, and his head was severed from his body.
