On September 19, 1996, the city of Owerri in Imo State, Nigeria, was shaken by the horrific murder of 11-year-old Anthony Ikechukwu Okoronkwo. His brutal death at the hands of a ritual killer did more than shock the community—it exposed a chilling network of ritual killings tied to the infamous Otokoto Hotel.
This singular case, which began with a young groundnut seller trying to support his family, quickly spiraled into one of Nigeria’s most notorious criminal investigations.
The Gruesome Murder at Otokoto Hotel
Anthony Okoronkwo, like many Nigerian children from low-income families, hawked boiled groundnuts after school. On that tragic day in 1996, he arrived in the Amakohia area of Owerri, where he was called into the Otokoto Hotel by a man named Innocent Ekeanyanwu, then 32 years old.
Believing he had found a customer, the unsuspecting boy was offered a bottle of Coca-Cola laced with sedatives. After falling unconscious, Anthony was dragged into a room by Ekeanyanwu, who then beheaded the boy and harvested his vital organs—including his liver and genitals—for ritual purposes. His remains were hastily buried in a shallow grave within the hotel compound.
How the Otokoto Ritual Killing Was Exposed
Ekeanyanwu had intended to deliver the boy’s head to his alleged superior, Chief Leonard Unaogu. He hired a commercial motorcyclist (Okada rider) named Opara to transport him. During the ride, Opara noticed blood dripping from the polythene bag Ekeanyanwu was carrying and immediately alerted the police.
Ekeanyanwu was arrested with the boy’s severed head still in his possession. His confession opened a Pandora’s box that revealed a horrifying ring of ritual killings centered around the Otokoto Hotel, a popular establishment linked to elite businessmen and power brokers in Imo State.
The Otokoto Riots
Outrage erupted when local television stations broadcast an image of Ekeanyanwu holding the severed head of young Anthony on September 24, 1996. This image fueled a wave of protests and violent riots in Owerri.
Enraged residents took to the streets, burning down:
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The Otokoto Hotel
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Chief Vincent Duru’s mansion and luxury cars
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Piano Plaza and Chibet Hotel
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Properties belonging to other suspects and alleged ritualists
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The palace and petrol station of Eze Onu Egwu Nwoke, a traditional ruler later indicted by a state panel
The protests forced then-military administrator, Colonel Zubairu, to promise a full-scale investigation.
More Ritual Graves Discovered
Authorities discovered that Otokoto Hotel had operated as a ritual killing hub since the 1970s. Investigations uncovered over 24 shallow graves inside the premises—many containing bodies of guests who were drugged, killed, and mutilated.
Tragically, just four days after his arrest, Innocent Ekeanyanwu died in police custody from suspected food poisoning—an act many believe was orchestrated to silence him. Still, he had already named Chief Leonard Unaogu as the sponsor of the ritual killings.
Legal Battles and Delayed Justice
In 1997, nine police officers were arraigned in connection with Ekeanyanwu’s suspicious death. The case dragged on for years, marred by adjournments, absent lawyers, and the retirement of multiple judges.
Justice finally arrived in 1999 when Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme sentenced seven men to death, including:
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Chief Vincent Duru, owner of Otokoto Hotel
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Chief Leonard Unaogu, the alleged mastermind
Unaogu died mysteriously in Port Harcourt Prison years later, while Duru’s 2012 appeal was dismissed, and his conviction was upheld.
🕯 Legacy of the Otokoto Ritual Killings
The Otokoto ritual murder is one of Nigeria’s darkest criminal cases. It exposed the dangerous fusion of wealth, power, and ritualism in society. It also sparked widespread conversations about the safety of children, the corruption in law enforcement, and the involvement of influential elites in criminal syndicates.
What began with the tragic killing of 11-year-old Anthony Okoronkwo unveiled a gruesome underworld that had existed for decades.
📌 Share this story to keep Anthony’s memory alive and demand continued accountability.