A 45-year-old man identified as Jeremiah Ode, from Igwe Ochekpo in Oju Local Government Area, Benue State has been arraigned before a Makurdi Magistrate Court for cannibalism.
Ode was said to have killed his uncles wife, Priscilla Adoga, 65, in her farm, and used her head for pepper soup.
Inspector Omaye Ujata, the Prosecuting Police Officer, told the court that the incident which occurred on Friday, August 19, was reported to the police by Silas Igiri of Oju Local Government Area.
According to Ujata, Silas reported at the Police station that his uncle’s wife named Priscilla Adoga, female, aged 65 years of same address went to her piece of land and met one Jeremiah Odeh, male, of same address farming on the said piece of land and when she tried to stop him from working on the land, the said Odeh became violent and killed her.
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After severing Priscilla’s head, he prepared pepper soup with it right there on the spot.
He was however, caught while eating the pepper he made with Priscilla’s head.
Sources in the community told newsmen that, when Priscilla did not return from the farm at the normal time, her relatives went in search of her, only to find Jeremiah, known in the community to be mentally deranged, having a meal of the woman’s head.
When asked why he did that, Jeremiah said he only started with the head after which he would proceed to her body.
Narrating the incident to the police said he and Priscilla fought each other with their machetes until he overpowered her.
The police considered the narration too normal to be that of a mad man and, therefore, decided to prosecute him.
The Prosecutor told the court that the accused has confessed to committing the crime.
No plea for want of jurisdiction was taken when the charges were read before the accused person as the prosecutor asked for adjournment to complete investigation in the matter.
The Magistrate, Regina D. Alashi, Esq. adjourned the case to October 11, 2022 for further mention and ordered that the accused person be remanded at the Nigerian correctional facility in Makurdi.
