Fleeing murder suspects accused of using police to arrest witnesses in Enugu killing case

A family in Enugu State has accused two fleeing murder suspects of manipulating police authorities to intimidate and arrest key witnesses connected to the killing of a 56-year-old man, Augustine Ekwueme.

The victim was allegedly beaten to death on December 30, 2025, in Obinagu Akpugoeze, Oji River Local Government Area, after his hands and legs were tied with ropes. Two brothers, Ifeanyi and Christian Ekwueme, have been arrested and remanded on murder charges, while two others, Dennis and Onyedikachi Ekwueme, remain at large.

According to a petition filed with the Inspector General of Police, the fleeing suspects, through their lawyer, lodged a separate complaint alleging arson and malicious damage against members of the victim’s family who reported the murder. The family claims this is a deliberate attempt to discredit and jail the principal witnesses in the murder case.

The petition further alleges that a police team from Zone 13 Command in Ukpo, Anambra State, arrived in the community in an unmarked vehicle accompanied by a masked individual. After arresting two family members, the mask was removed, revealing the man to be Dennis Ekwueme, one of the wanted murder suspects.

When the family’s lawyer, a retired permanent secretary, visited the command to secure bail for the detained relatives, he was also arrested and labeled a suspect in the arson case. The lawyer reportedly presented court documents, an autopsy report, and photographs from the murder scene, but the officers allegedly refused to consider them, insisting they were only handling the arson complaint.

The family has appealed to the police leadership to intervene, ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspects, and stop the harassment of witnesses. They also called for a fair investigation that would not undermine the ongoing murder trial.

Efforts to get a response from the Zone 13 police command were unsuccessful at the time of this report.