BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested one Ikenna Ogbonna Ota, a native of Azuoto Okpoitumo community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state, for allegedly stealing and presenting a stolen cow for the burial rites of his late father in-law.
The Point gathered that it is a known tradition among the people of Izzi clan in the state to perform burial rites of their deceased relations, especially parents and in-laws with cows in order to avert stigmatization by the people.
The people of Ebia Unuhu witnessed a mild drama on Friday, December 9, 2022 during the presentation of materials for the burial of their late father when their son in-law, Ota, offered a female cow he allegedly stole from his community to them for the ceremony.
Unfortunately for him, the owner of the stolen native cow, Thomas Agbo, who came to sympathize with the family of the deceased, was able to identify the cow being presented by the son-in-law as his missing cow.
When Agbo, aged 34, was interrogated by the police, he said that he went for routine check on the cow in the bush four days before the burial date of his neighbour’s father in-law but could not see the cow where it was tied.
He explained that he was surprised to see the stolen cow at Ebia Unuphu Community where he went to commiserate with the family of Okemini Oyibe. He said that he saw the cow being tied with some Fulani cows for a presentation for the rites.
“Ikenna Ogbonna Ota is my neighbour. I knew his father-in-law was dead and the burial was slated for 9th of December. Days before the ceremony, one of my cows went missing. All efforts by my children to find it were not successful until I coincidentally saw it being presented at Ebia Unuhu by IKenna for the burial rites of his father-in-law,” he said.
Upon interrogation by the police, the suspect claimed that he did not steal the cow. He alleged that he bought it at the sum of N110,000 (One hundred and ten thousand naira only) from a man known as ‘Mr. No Time’ at Azu-Ebonyi, Amachi Unuphu, a neighbouring village to Azuoto Okpuitumo.
Confirming the report, the Police Public Relations Officer in the Command, Chris Anyanwu, said that the suspect would be charged to court after investigation.
