Recounting his frightening encounter, Sunday Oji, a 20-year-old student, shared how he narrowly escaped being buried alive by suspected cultists.
Oji, a student of Comprehensive Secondary School in Ogwuma Village, Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, recounted how the suspects mistook him for a rival cult member and dragged him into a bush with the intention of burying him alive.
For the past few weeks, the communities in Afikpo have been embroiled in cult clashes, and Oji found himself caught in the midst of the violence.
Speaking from his hospital bed at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo, on Wednesday, May 13, Oji, who sustained machete cuts all over his body, expressed his gratitude for the timely intervention of local hunters who foiled the plot and saved him from being buried alive.
He recounted, “The thugs claimed they were avenging the killing of one of their members who was shot dead last week in the area.
“While I was in our compound, one of my friends came and told me to escort him to buy something. When we reached the store, we saw three boys on bikes destroying and looting the shop of one Imo Orji. One of them came to me and asked me where was Imo. And I told him I don’t know.
“Before I could finish speaking, the other person interrupted me and said I should follow them. Before I knew what was happening, they started hitting and stabbing me, saying I was the one who shot their member. They bundled me on one of the bikes and zoomed off to Ekoli where they dug a pit, threw me in, and covered me with sand up to chest level. I was inside there suffocating, shouting when they heard the footsteps of people coming and ran away.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Loveth Oda, confirmed the incident, noting that nine suspects in connection with the crime and recent killings in the affected communities were in detention. She said they would be prosecuted.
“Though we arrested thirty-six of them, they were screened and nine of them are in detention. Investigations are ongoing and more will be arrested,” she said.