The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 45-year-old man, Okwuchukwu Ezimuo, for allegedly stabbing his elder relative, Joseph Dike, to death during a quarrel over a piece of family land in Awka-Etiti, Idemili South Local Government Area.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on Monday evening in Umunocha Village. Witnesses said the disagreement escalated into a heated altercation, during which Ezimuo allegedly struck the 65-year-old victim on the chest with a sharp object.
Dike was rushed to a nearby hospital but was later confirmed dead by a medical doctor on duty.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed the development in a statement on Wednesday, said operatives from Nnobi Divisional Headquarters swiftly moved to the scene and took the suspect into custody.
“The Anambra State Police Command operatives attached to Nnobi Division have arrested one Okwuchukwu Ezimuo, aged 45, for the death of his relative during a dispute over family land in Awka-Etiti,” Ikenga stated.
“Preliminary findings show that the deceased, Mr. Joseph Dike, aged 65, collapsed after being struck on the chest by the suspect during the quarrel. He was confirmed dead in the hospital.”
Ikenga added that investigators documented the crime scene with photographs and other relevant evidence.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for further investigation.
He appealed to residents to explore non-violent means of resolving disputes. “Conflicts over land or inheritance should never end in bloodshed. The command will continue to pursue justice, but communities must learn to embrace dialogue instead of violence,” the CP was quoted as saying.
