A man and a woman were being paraded naked by members of the community as they carried the corpses of the victims they were accused of killing in a wheelbarrow around the area.
A large crowd were seen following and flogging the suspects.
In a trending video circulating on social media, a voice narrated that the suspects allegedly killed three persons with the intention of using them for money rituals, before they were caught by the villagers.
But reacting to the development on Thursday, the Anambra State police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the incident was not connected to ritual killing but a case of murder.
Ikenga said the suspects, who were humiliated and paraded as shown in the video by the angry mob, were erroneously accused of the killing because they were seen at the scene where the murder took place.
He added that security operatives, acting upon information, quickly stormed the area and rescued the man and woman while the deceased were deposited in a morgue.
He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng, while reacting to the incident sued for calm and ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka for a comprehensive investigation.
He said, “The Command operatives by 10 am Wednesday, rescued two victims who were about to be lynched by an angry mob at the Total Junction, Ihiala LGA.
“To set the records straight, it is not a case of ritual killing, but a pure incident of murder. Preliminary information revealed that the two victims, a man and a woman, who were humiliated and paraded as shown in the video by the angry mob were erroneously accused by the mob as they were seen at the scene where the murder took place.
“Also, a suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder while the victims(man and woman) are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. The deceased has been deposited in a morgue. Further developments shall be communicated, please.”
