The Nigeria Police have quizzed a traditional ruler in Enugu State (name not mentioned) for allegedly ordering the burning of the corpse of a 9-year-old housemaid, Precious Korshima.
The traditional ruler spent hours on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at the police and was later granted bail.
Precious, before she was murdered, was a housemaid to Ujunwa Ugwoke of Fidelity Estate, Enugu.
Mrs Ugwuoke reportedly admitted that she beat Precious to death and dumped her corpse along the Enugu-Portharcourt Expressway.
The Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, CRRAN, 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 her body was set ablaze by villagers.
According to Omotayo, Korshima said the Police informed him that when they went to the scene, they learnt that the traditional ruler of the community had given order to the youth to burn the decomposing body because of the offensive smell coming from it.
He also said that the traditional ruler engaged in an illegal act without informing security agents of the corpse’s presence in his domain.
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 (her housemaid) 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.”
Korshima also appealed for justice, stating that he fears he may not get justice as he has become frustrated following endless visits to the anti-kidnapping base for over a month.
Korshima further asked for the release of the remains of his dead child to him so that he can give the child a decent burial.m, he found that it was messed up and directed the cleaner to tidy it up for another guest. But when the cleaner noticed water dripping on tiles from another part of the room, he had to check the wardrobe.
“While they were checking the room, they perceived an offensive odour and started searching for the source. They later discovered the lifeless body of the deceased in the wardrobe,” he said.
Asinim Butswat, the state police spokesman, who confirmed the incident, said the corpse had been evacuated and deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.
Butswat said the investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances leading to the incident.
