23-Year-Old Man Drowns During Spiritual Cleansing Led by His Ezenwanyi Mother in Enugu River

A 23-year-old man, Chiemelie Nnaji, tragically drowned on Thursday during a spiritual cleansing ritual conducted by his mother in a river at the Obiagu area of Enugu.

Chiemelie, well-known in the neighbourhood for roasting pork and chicken in front of a local motel, reportedly suffered from epilepsy. Witnesses say he accompanied his mother, popularly called Ezenwanyi, and one of her clients to Mmiri Ani river for a spiritual exorcism session.

According to eyewitness accounts, Ezenwanyi, a self-proclaimed spiritualist, was preparing her son to take over her practice. During the ritual, while she was performing rites involving a native fowl in the river, Chiemelie suffered a seizure and fell into the water, which was chest deep.

Despite being alerted by her client that her son was drowning, Ezenwanyi, said to be in a trance-like state, continued chanting incantations and refused to offer help. The client eventually disrupted the ritual and raised the alarm, drawing the attention of nearby residents.

Onlookers rushed to the scene and pulled Chiemelie from the river. He was reportedly still alive when rescued, but two hospitals declined to admit him. It was only at a third hospital that he was finally pronounced dead.

Police operatives from the Ogui Division later arrested Ezenwanyi in connection with the incident. The Enugu State Police Command has yet to release an official statement, as efforts to reach spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe were unsuccessful at the time of this report.