The Nigerian Police Command, Enugu command, has arrested a traditional traditional ruler for allegedly ordering the burning of the corpse of a 9-year-old house help, Precious Korshima.
According to Daily Post, the traditional ruler whose name is currently withheld was reported to have spent hours at the police station before being granted bail.
Before her murder, Precious worked as a housekeeper for Mrs. Ujunwa Ugwoke in Enugu’s Fidelity Estate.
According to reports, Mrs. Ugwuoke claimed that she killed Precious by beating her and then dumping her body along the Enugu-Portharcourt Expressway.
The Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, through its President Olu Omotayo Esq, had in a petition to the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, quoted the father of the deceased, James Achikpi Korshima, saying the body was set ablaze by villagers.
The traditional ruler of the community reportedly ordered the youths to burn the decomposing body due to the terrible stench, as reported by Omotayo’s source Korshima, who claims the Police notified him of this fact when they arrived on the site.
Additionally, he claimed that the traditional ruler committed a crime by failing to alert authorities to the body’s location in his territory.
Part of the petition read: “We submit that this is a clear case of murder and the investigation of the case has nothing to do with the Anti-Kidnapping Base.
“We urge you to immediately order that a thorough investigation of this heinous crime be carried out by the Homicide section of the State Criminal and Investigation Department (State CID), of the State Police Headquarters, Enugu.
“Ujunwa Ugwuoke killed the little child in a cruel and barbaric way and dumped the corpse in the bush while the traditional ruler in question completed the unlawful act by ordering the burning of the corpse.”