The police in Anambra State have rescued two persons accused of ritual killings in Ihiala Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
The victims, a male and a female paraded naked in a viral video, were accused by a mob of killing three persons in the area.
The mob forced them to carry the corpses in a wheelbarrow.
A male voice in the video claimed that the duo killed the deceased for money rituals before being caught by residents.
But Police Spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement absolved the duo of the accusations, saying they were falsely accused.
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He clarified that the case was that of suspected murder and not of rituals as alleged, adding that the deceased had been deposited in a morgue, while the victims were receiving treatment.
He said: “The Command’s operatives by 10am on 7/6/2023 rescued two victims and a suspect, who were about to be lynched by a mob at the Total junction, Ihiala.
“To set the records straight, it is not a case of ritual killing, but a pure incident of murder. Preliminary information reveals that the two culprits, a man and a woman, who were humiliated and paraded as shown in the video by the angry mob were erroneously accused as they were seen at the scene where the murder took place.
“Also, both the suspect and victims are currently receiving treatment in the hospital, while the deceased has been deposited in a morgue.”
Ikenga said Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng had called for calm, while the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka for a comprehensive investigation.