Mrs Agodichinma Ukwu, a grieving mother, speaks to TEMITOPE ADETUNJI about the sorrow her family faces after her son was killed by cultists for refusing to join them. As she struggles to come to terms with the tragedy, she calls for justice, hoping no other mother will have to endure such pain
What do you do for a living and how old are you?
I am a self-employed businesswoman. I am 43 years old and from Arochukwu Local Government Area, Ibom Village, Abia State.
Can you tell us about your son, Chinedu?
Chinedu Ukwu was just 18 years old last year when he passed away. He was a peaceful child, respectful and kind. He was still in secondary school when the tragedy that took his life occurred on April 3, 2024.
I had four children; my first child is 21 years old. Chinedu and his twin, Chinecherem, were 18, and my youngest child is 15.
Can you share details about the incident? What really happened?
On April 3, 2024, I was in my shop when the incident happened. According to his twin brother, Chinecherem, they had both gone out together, and on their way back, they were confronted by cultists. The attack was targeted specifically at Chinedu. The cultists had ordered them to follow them, but when they refused, one of them struck Chinedu, causing him to hit his back on the wall. They immediately began to chase both boys.
In the chaos, one of the attackers who was on a motorcycle rammed into Chinedu, knocking him to the ground. The rider then sped off, leaving the others behind. They surrounded him and began assaulting him mercilessly. One of them stabbed Chinedu brutally.
While this was happening, his twin brother, Chinecherem, frantically searched for something, like a stick to defend him, but the cultists were armed, they had weapons with them. The moment they stabbed Chinedu, they fled, leaving him bleeding and helpless. When his twin brother Chinecherem rushed to him, he realised Chinedu had been stabbed so badly that he was no longer breathing.
Did Chinedu know the cultists?
According to his twin brother, I will say yes. He recognised one of them as someone who had been trying to force him into joining their cult. Chinedu had consistently refused, and as a result, the guy had been threatening him.
Were you aware of these threats?
No, I was not aware. I was completely unaware that my son was being threatened.
Why didn’t Chinedu or his brother tell you?
His twin brother told me they never expected it to escalate to this level. Also, because of my health condition, they were afraid that telling me would cause my blood pressure to rise. They didn’t inform their father either.
How did you receive the news?
When his twin brother realised that Chinedu had been murdered, he ran to my shop, struggling to speak. I noticed bloodstains on his shirt and immediately asked where his brother was. He could barely get the words out—just that something terrible had happened to his brother; I was with his father at that moment and we were both terrified.
Moments later, Chinedu’s lifeless body was brought to the front of our house. Neighbours and onlookers gathered, wailing in grief. That was when it hit me and I realised that my son was gone.
How did you feel at that moment?
I cannot describe the feeling. It was as though my world had collapsed. The shock and the pain were instant, overwhelming, and unbearable. Seeing my son’s lifeless body, knowing that the child I had spoken to that morning was dead just hours later was beyond devastating. I broke down in bitter tears, and so did his father.
Chinedu was such a kind soul. He had an extraordinary level of empathy and goodness. People often asked me why he was so close to me despite being a boy. He was always by my side, so affectionate, so clingy; his love for me was undeniable. He couldn’t bear to see me stressed. If I was tired, he would sit by my feet and massage them just to make me feel better.
I miss my son so much. I still cannot believe he is gone. The pain of losing him in such a cruel and senseless manner is something I wouldn’t wish to happen to anyone. It has been so unbearable for me. I have not been myself since the incident happened.
What steps did you take after realising he was murdered by the cultists?
We reported to the police station the night of the incident and we were told they would look for those boys who killed my son. Vigilantes and hunters, acting swiftly on the night of the incident, successfully apprehended two of the cultists just hours after the murder and handed them over to the police in the Arochukwu community.
We feel disappointed and devastated after being informed by a police officer that one of the two suspects escaped during a jailbreak on April 14, 2024.
It was a very sad moment for us; the Abia State Police Command failed us so much. They didn’t do their job well; they did not do a thorough investigation on the matter.
Has he been buried?
We were waiting for justice. The police had refused to do anything about it. When we could not wait any longer, we decided to bury him on Saturday, March 22, 2025. We’ve been attending court sessions intending to get justice, but the police are not ready to find the boys. One of them is still in police custody. They should look for the rest, including the one that escaped.
The police are not doing enough of what we expected from them. They are not doing anything. My lawyer has been sick; I want to get human rights activists too, and I am here crying out to Nigerians to help me, I want to get justice because I don’t want my son to die in vain.
How has your son’s death affected you and the family?
Losing Chinedu has completely shattered me. It was not easy then, and it is still not easy now. The truth is that I don’t think it will ever be easy. The pain is like a wound that refuses to heal, a heavy weight pressing down on my heart every single day.
I wake up each morning hoping that the killing of my son is all just a nightmare, believing that I will hear his voice calling me one day, that I will feel his warm embrace again. However, reality crashed in, and I am left with nothing but emptiness.
Chinedu was not just my son; he was my peace, my joy, my reason to smile. He was the kind of child every mother prays for, calm, respectful, and full of kindness. He never looked for trouble, never raised his voice in anger, never took what didn’t belong to him. He was simply good. And now, he is gone.
I am running into depression. The pain is too much. How do you move on from losing a child who was your everything? How do you find happiness again when the very person who brought you joy has been taken from you so cruelly? I feel broken beyond repair.
The house is no longer the same. The silence is unbearable. His twin brother has changed—he is not himself anymore. I see the sadness in his eyes; the weight he carries from witnessing his brother’s murder, from being unable to save him.
Chinedu was love itself. He was the one who would always check on me; always made sure I was okay. When I was tired, he would sit beside me and massage my feet. Nobody prays to lose a child. I love all my children so much.
This is not the natural order of life. A mother is not supposed to bury her son. A child is not supposed to be ripped away from his family in such a heartless manner. I keep asking, ‘Why my son, why Chinedu?’ He didn’t deserve this. No child does. My life has not been the same. My family is broken. My heart is in pieces. And the pain is endless.
What do you want the authorities and the public to know about this case?
I need justice. My son’s life was taken so brutally, and nothing can bring him back to me. But I cannot sit back and watch his killers walk free. No mother should have to endure this pain; no parent should have to bury their child in such a tragic and senseless way.
Chinedu was only 18. He had dreams; he had a future. He had a life ahead of him, but that was stolen from him in the most inhumane way. I want the world to know that my son was not a troublemaker. He was not involved in anything bad. He was a child who simply wanted to live his life peacefully, and for that, he was murdered.
I need the authorities to take this case seriously. I need them to find these killers, to make sure they are held accountable for what they did. People like that should not be roaming the streets freely while I am left with nothing but memories and a grave to visit.
My son did not deserve to die like this. I want the public to understand that cultism is destroying lives. It is tearing families apart. It is turning innocent boys into victims, just like my Chinedu. How many more mothers will have to weep before something is done?
How many more children will have to die before we realise that this evil must be stopped?
Justice is the only thing I ask for. Those who kill should not be allowed to live freely. I need to see those responsible pay for what they have done, not just for Chinedu, but for every other innocent life that has been taken by this madness.
If you could have one wish, what would it be?
If I could have one wish, it would be to hold my son in my arms again and ask him why he chose to leave so soon, despite everything I had endured, despite the sacrifices and pain I went through to raise him.