A young man has reportedly died in Ugbele, Ukwagbudu, Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, during a fortification ritual conducted by a native medicine man.
It was alleged that, the young man, identified as Chikwado Eze, was taken by his father, Uwakwe Eze, to a native doctor in a neighbouring village, Inyi in the area, for fortification before his planned travel overseas.
Chikwado, who was living at Onitsha, Anambra State, had returned home to inform his father, that he had secured a visa to travel abroad.
His father was earlier ostracized alongside five other persons by youths in the village in 2008, following allegations that he specialised in securing dangerous and harmful native medicines but his children reportedly paid the heavy fines imposed on him by his people, to enable him to be re-absorbed or reintegrated, sometime in January this year.
Soon after the ostracism, he had run to a church ministry, belonging to the popular Catholic priest, Okunerere, where he stayed until the appeasement of his family, earlier in the year, before returning to the village.
Sources at Ugbaike, noted that, Uwakwe, fled the village, after his family imposed heavy fine and ostracized him, after the burial of wife, who died under mysterious circumstances.
But, sources further stated that, following his father's insistence that his son must undergo the fortification ritual to ensure his safe travel and successes, Chikwado traveled to the neighbouring village of Inyi, with his father, where he was buried alive in a grave for about one and a half hours, before the grave was re-opened, only to be found dead as a result of excessive heat and exhaustion.
The native doctor had reportedly claimed that, for the young man to be properly fortified, he needed to be buried alive for sometime to withstand pressures in a foreign land. Unfortunately, Chikwado died before he was exhumed after the stipulated period of time..
Uwakwe's neighbours at Ukwuagbudu Ugbaike confirmed the story, saying that he had been detained, alongside the herbalist by the police. More stories to follow
