The Anambra State Police Command has arrested the main suspect in the killing of 74-year-old Alice Anene, who was in a wheelchair and was burned to death in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area.
In an official statement from Awka, the state capital, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the suspect’s arrest. Identified as 33-year-old Obinna Anene from Amene Village, Abagana, he was taken into custody on Tuesday and is being transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Awka for further questioning.
Ikenga stated, “The suspect, Obinna Anene, a 33-year-old male from Amene Village, Abagana, has been identified as the primary suspect in the burning and murder of 74-year-old Alice Anene, which occurred on January 27, 2025, in Abagana. He has been apprehended and is being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further interrogation.”
Drivetvnews reports indicated that police had already arrested four other individuals in connection with the crime, including 21-year-old Chinyere Ekwenugo. The other suspects were identified as Uzochukwu Okeke (47), Fidel Anayo (60), and Ikenna Anene (54), all from Abagana.
According to Ikenga, officers from the Abagana Divisional Police Headquarters recovered the victim’s remains, along with a wheelchair and a casket, from the scene.
He also mentioned that law enforcement swiftly apprehended the suspects and gathered evidence while continuing efforts to track down the prime suspect who remains at large.
During interrogation, Chinyere Ekwenugo allegedly confessed that her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Igwe—who has not yet been caught—along with three others, was responsible for setting the victim on fire. They had reportedly brought a casket to bury her, but security operatives intervened before they could proceed.
