A young man who allegedly killed his mother, grandmother, sister, and nephew through food poisoning in a quest for money ritual through what they called “Okeite” has been arrested.

He was arrested by the Enugu State Police Command.

Although the incident reportedly happened in Amaeze, Nsukka town, in September 2024, he was picked up and handed over to the police on Tuesday after a local mob paraded and forced him to go to the grave of his mother and asked for forgiveness.

Human rights organisation, Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), while reacting to the incident, called on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that all those involved in the murder are arrested.

The organisation also urged the police to investigate the native doctor and all who were implicated in the crime.

“This young man did not act alone. Some people lured him into committing this atrocity. The police should arrest and investigate the so-called native doctor and all who were implicated in this crime,” it said.

Condemning the horrific incident, AfAW, in the statement signed by its Director, Dr. Leo Igwe, enjoined the public to abandon belief in Okeite or money ritual and embrace evidence-based means of earning money or achieving success.

The organisation described the Okeite money ritual as a scam that some self-styled native doctors and diviners carry out.

“The belief is that people could become rich through magical means after performing certain rituals using Ite (pots). These so-called diviners instruct seekers of ritual money to pay huge sums of money according to the size of the pot.

“They ask them to indulge in certain acts, including murder or having sex with mentally challenged persons. Prospective ritualists are told to murder their relatives, including their parents or siblings, or to bring human body parts,” the statement added.

A post by one Sen Chijinkem Ugwuanyi on Facebook noted that the young man from Amaeze in Nsukka, killed four people, including his Mom, grandmother, sister, and sister’s child through food poisoning in his quest to make easy money called Okeite.

The post noted that the suspect committed the crime after a friend lured him to indulge in Okeite.

The friend was said to have taken him to a native doctor in the Agbani area in Nsukka, who instructed him to poison and kill his mother.

“He poisoned their food, and they all ate the food and died. The young man who poisoned family members confessed to the crime and asked for forgiveness.”

In a video that was posted on Facebook, a local mob paraded and forced him to go to the grave of the mother and asked for forgiveness.