By Deborah Nnamdi
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old man, Okwuchukwu Ezimuo, for allegedly stabbing his relative, Joseph Dike, to death during a quarrel over a family land dispute in Umunocha Village, Awka-Etiti, Idemili South Local Government Area.
Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday. He said the altercation occurred on the evening of September 22, 2025, when Ezimuo reportedly struck 65-year-old Dike on the chest during the argument.
“The deceased collapsed after being struck on the chest by the suspect during a quarrel. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where a medical doctor on duty confirmed him dead,” Ikenga stated.
According to him, officers from the Nnobi Divisional Police Headquarters promptly visited the scene, documented evidence including photographs, and arrested the suspect, who is now in custody and undergoing interrogation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, while condemning the incident, urged residents of the state to adopt peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms and shun violence, especially in family and communal disputes. He directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for further investigation.
This is not the first time the state has recorded such tragedy. In February 2025, the police arrested one Christian Ndu in connection with the fatal stabbing of his elder brother during an altercation, a case also described by CP Orutugu as “tragic and avoidable.”
