A 20-year-old man, Damian Oforbuike, has been banished from the Ohatekwe Ukawu community in Ebonyi State after confessing to the gruesome machete murder of his mother over her refusal to bathe him and fund a business
The Ohatekwe Ukawu community in the Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has been plunged into a state of horror and mourning following the brutal murder of a woman, Onyemaechi, by her 20-year-old son, Damian Oforbuike. The suspect allegedly attacked his mother with a machete over the weekend of March 21–22, 2026, inflicting fatal wounds before fleeing into the dense forest surrounding the village. The local councillor, Maduabuchi Nweke, successfully mobilized a search party of over 200 youths who combed the forest for hours, eventually tracking and apprehending the suspect in his hiding spot.
Following his capture, Oforbuike was subjected to a public “parade of shame” through the community, where he reportedly made a series of chilling confessions caught on camera. In a viral video recorded during the parade, the suspect admitted to the killing, citing trivial and bizarre grievances as his motivation. “I killed my mother because she refused to bathe me and also refused to rent a shop for my brother who learned barbing and needed money to start,” he said. The admission has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many questioning the mental state of the young man and the underlying family dynamics that led to such extreme violence.
In line with traditional judicial practices in the area, the community leadership has officially banished Oforbuike, issuing a stern warning that he must never return to Ohatekwe Ukawu. While the traditional banishment has been executed, the suspect is expected to be handed over to the Ebonyi State Police Command for formal prosecution under the state’s criminal code. Residents of the area remain in shock, as Onyemaechi was described by neighbors as a hardworking woman who had been struggling to support her children amidst the current economic climate in the Southeast.
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