An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and two other officers held hostage while investigating murder of five women for witch craft in Ndon Owong community of Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State have been rescued.
The officers were rescued on Monday by the Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad (ACKS) of the Command led by SP Awodi Abdulhameed, spokesperson of police in Cross River, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed in Calabar on Tuesday.
Some youths in the community had allegedly killed five people who they accused of being responsible for evil happenings in Ndon Owong over allegations of witchcraft.
The five murdered people were then buried in a shallow grave.
The policemen were deployed to investigate the killings, but were held hostage by the youths before they were rescued.
Meanwhile, Ugbo said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the officers who were taken hostage and for the killing of the five women.
“Nobody can take the laws into their hands, our constitution does not recognise anything like witchcraft.
” If they had a case they should have taken the appropriate channel to address them and not to take the lives of innocent people.
“Five people were gruesomely murdered in cold blood and buried in shallow grave inside the forest over what I described as unfounded allegations.
“It is barbaric, it is unacceptable and we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the arrested suspects faced the full weight of the law,” she stated.
(NAN)
