A 49-year-old farmer, Akaniyene Ignatius, has been arrested by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department following the gruesome murder and beheading of two community elders in Abanyama, Creek Town.
The suspect confessed to the killings, stating he was driven by a desire to avenge the deaths of his parents and brother.
The victims, identified as 75-year-old Oko Okon and 73-year-old Okon Akpan, were killed on consecutive days in late May.
According to investigative sources, Ignatius sneaked into Okon’s residence on May 24, where he strangled and beheaded the elderly man before burying his severed head in a shallow grave at a nearby farm settlement.
The following morning, the suspect ambushed Akpan outside his home, strangled him, and subsequently dismembered his body, burying the remains in separate shallow graves.
The double homicide caused severe panic in the riverine community, forcing several residents to flee their homes and farms. The suspect’s activities were uncovered after community members noticed him trying to sell a mattress belonging to one of the deceased elders. Homicide detectives arrested him during the attempted sale, and Ignatius subsequently led police to the shallow graves where the victims’ body parts were exhumed.
In his confessional statement, Ignatius linked his motives to a 1999 family dispute involving his father and brothers, which he claimed eventually led to the violent death of his brother and the subsequent fatal illness and death of his traumatized parents.
While expressing late regret, the suspect maintained that deep-seated anger fueled his actions.
The Cross River State Police Command has urged the public to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified rumors.
Police Spokesperson Ewa Sunday debunked widespread community speculations alleging the suspect was linked to over 30 deaths, emphasizing that the claims remain entirely unverified while a thorough and impartial investigation is completed.
