The Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned a 30-year-old man, Oforbuike Okoro, before Magistrate Court II in Abakaliki, the state capital.

Okoro was arrested earlier this month for allegedly killing his mother, Mrs. Onyema Damian, in Ukawu, Onicha Local Government Area.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, preliminary investigations suggest the suspect committed the act after his mother refused to bathe him—a ritual he believed would bring him wealth.

Ukandu added that in March alone, the Command arraigned four other individuals—Onyebuchi Eze, Eze Nwuke, Oko Odinaka Emmanuel, and Uchenna Ota—over separate murder cases. He described the recent rise in homicides as deeply troubling.

The Commissioner of Police, Hope Urunwa Okafor, expressed concern over the increasing cases of homicide in the state and urged residents not to take the law into their own hands. He also called on the public to report grievances to security agencies. Okafor emphasized that murder is a capital offense and a serious crime against humanity, reaffirming the Command’s open-door policy for prompt attention to complaints.

At the court hearing, Okoro pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of murder. Police Prosecutor David Njoku told the court that the alleged offence occurred on March 19, 2026, at Ohatekwe, Ukawu, in Onicha LGA, where Okoro allegedly stabbed his mother in the back, resulting in her death. Njoku noted that the act is punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009.

Without legal representation, the defendant admitted responsibility but said he could not fully explain his actions. “I don’t know what really happened, but I can remember that I killed her over her refusal to bathe me,” he stated.

Chief Magistrate Chinedu Agama ordered that Okoro be remanded in a correctional facility, noting that the court lacked jurisdiction to try the case. He directed that the case file and exhibits be forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and adjourned the matter to April 9.