Chinedu Solomon Ezedike, demolishes, properties, Enugu State, South-east

The Enugu State Government has demolished properties of a prophet who allegedly killed four siblings in Enugu State, Nigeria’s South-east.

The prophet, Chinedu Ezedike, allegedly used a pestle to kill the four siblings.

The incident happened on 16 May at Ibagwa-Aka, a community in the Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The slain siblings were Kamsiyochukwu Ezema, Ezinne Ezema, Ujunwa Ezema, and Chinedu Ezema.

The siblings, aged between seven and two years, were three girls and a boy.

The prophet, now in police custody, allegedly colluded with other suspects, still at large, to commit the crime, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

On Monday, the Enugu State Government demolished the prophet’s properties in the community.

Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the state governor, Peter Mbah, authorised the demolition of the property.

The Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area Chairperson, Ferdinand Ukwueze, confirmed the demolition in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

“We stood with the good people of Ibagwa-Aka as we demolished the stronghold of Prophet Chinedu Solomon Ezedike, who is linked to the heartbreaking murder of four innocent siblings,” Mr Ukwueze, a lawyer, wrote.

“This is a clear message from the administration of His Excellency Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah that criminals have no hiding place in Enugu State!”

The chairperson uploaded a video clip showing some of the prophet’s properties being demolished on his Facebook page.

The clip showed a jubilant crowd of villagers drumming and dancing while the properties were being demolished.

Mr Ukwueze was seen in the clip addressing the villagers after the demolition.

“You remember I said the last time you visited the council headquarters in protest over what happened that a great tragedy had happened in our land,” he told the crowd in Igbo language, referring to the killing of the four siblings.

The chairperson commended them for their support and cooperation with authorities in the council area, assuring that Peter Mbah’s administration was committed to fighting criminality in the area.

“The process of solving the issues of crime of this nature in our local government has just begun,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the properties demolished by the state government were the prophet’s residence, his church building, and a hotel facility

Others were a spiritual temple and fleets of cars – all within the Ibagwa-Aka Community.

Before now, the Enugu State Government has been demolishing properties linked to kidnapping and violent crimes in the state.

According to the state government, the demolition of such properties was backed by Section 315 (Second Amendment) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State 2017.