AISHA ABUBAKAR
A 45-year old man, Jeremiah Ode, has allegedly killed his uncle’s 65-year old wife, Priscilla Adoga, used her head to make pepper soup and was eating it before he was caught.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Police operatives from Benue State Command have arrested the suspect, Ode and charged him before the Makurdi Magistrate Court for cannibalism.
According to the Police, the suspect, Ode, who hails from Igwe Ochekpo, Oju Local Government Area of Benue State, was caught eating the head of a woman he allegedly killed on her farm after making pepper soup from it.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Omaye Ujata, told the Court that the incident happened on Friday, 19th August, 2022, and was reported to the Police by one Silas Igiri, who informed the Police that Ode went to the farm where Priscilla was working and killed her with a machete.
The suspect reportedly severed his victim’s head from her body, used it to prepare pepper soup right there on the farm, and was eating it when he was caught.
The ugly incident was discovered when the late Priscilla failed to return from the farm at the normal time, her relatives went looking for her only to find Ode having a meal prepared from the woman’s severed head. Ode was said to be mentally deranged.
During interrogation, Ode reportedly told the Police that he only started with the woman’s head after which he would proceed to eat other parts of her body.
He also admitted that he and the victim fought with their machetes until he overpowered her and killed her.
However, the Police reportedly felt that his narration was too normal to come from a deranged mind, found him culpable for wilful murder and charged him before the Court for prosecution.
When he was arraigned, he pleaded guilty before the Court and did not show any remorse over his action.
The Court ordered his remand in the Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned till 11th November, 2022, for the DPP’s report to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction for prosecution.
The defendant risks several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment if he is tried and found guilty before the Court after the prosecution over the alleged murder.