13-Year-Old Girl Kidnapped and Killed for Alleged Money Ritual in Enugu

 

In a heartbreaking and deeply disturbing incident, a 13-year-old girl identified as Chisom Okeke has been reportedly kidnapped and murdered in Nsukka, Enugu State, in what authorities suspect to be a ritual killing linked to money-making purposes.

The young girl, a Junior Secondary School student, was last seen on her way home from evening church service on Wednesday, May 28. According to family members, Chisom never made it home, prompting a frantic search by the community and local security vigilantes.

Her lifeless body was discovered two days later in a shallow grave near an abandoned compound on the outskirts of the town. Disturbingly, several of her body parts were missing, fueling strong suspicions of ritualistic motives.

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Residents of Nsukka have been left horrified and angered by the incident. Community leader, Chief Damian Ugwu, described the act as “barbaric, inhuman, and a shameful stain on our people.” He called on state authorities to urgently investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“This is not just the murder of a child. This is a soul stolen for greed, and we must not rest until every single person involved is held accountable,” Ugwu said during a press briefing.

According to Enugu State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Nkechi Nwodo, three suspects have already been arrested in connection to the crime, including a local herbalist believed to have masterminded the act. The suspects allegedly confessed to kidnapping the girl for the purpose of performing rituals aimed at “getting rich quickly.”

Investigations are ongoing, and more arrests are expected as security operatives intensify their efforts to dismantle the growing network of ritual-related crimes in the region.

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The incident has sparked nationwide outrage, with many Nigerians taking to social media to express their grief and demand stricter punishment for ritual killers. Hashtags like #JusticeForChisom and #StopRitualKillings have been trending across X and Instagram.

Human rights activist and youth advocate, Barrister Amaka Onwuegbunam, condemned the act and criticized the rising cases of ritual killings across Nigeria, especially involving young girls.

“We are losing our children to a culture of blood money and spiritual ignorance. The government must act, not with words, but with decisive legislation and enforcement,” she said.

The grieving parents of Chisom, Mr. and Mrs. Okeke, could barely speak to reporters. Her mother, weeping uncontrollably, managed to say, “They took my only daughter. She was just a child. She had dreams, and they ended her life like she was nothing.”

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Her school, St. Michael’s Junior Secondary, held a candlelight procession on Friday to honor her memory, with classmates and teachers laying flowers and calling for protection of children in the community.

This case adds to the disturbing rise in child abductions and ritual killings reported in parts of Nigeria in recent years. Activists and child welfare organizations have warned that unless the federal government takes decisive steps, more innocent lives will be lost.

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