An Aba, Abia State-based businessman, Sunday Onwe, from Amuri in Nkanu West Local Government Area, has died after drinking a concoction prepared by a native doctor.
A statement from the police in Enugu on Thursday said Onwe contacted the native doctor to perform certain rituals with a view to revamping his dwindling business fortunes.
The statement signed by the spokesman of the Enugu State Police Command, Ebere Amaraizu, said the incident happened on June 23.
Amaraizu said that the intelligence and investigation department showed that the deceased arranged to meet the native doctor from Aliade in Benue State through a contact man from Ozalla in Enugu State.
He said the deceased came to Enugu on June 22 to meet the contact who was already waiting with the native doctor.
He said: “When they met, the deceased was made to drink a liquid concoction suspected to have been prepared with distilled water and thereafter, stripped naked while the remaining liquid was thrown at him.
“As he became unconscious after drinking the concoction, the native doctor and contact man made away with his Toyota Avalon car, his handsets and the sum of N450,000.”
Amaraizu said the victim was, however, rescued by a good Nigeria who ran into him while in a helpless moment and was rushed to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital with burns from the acid.
He said the victim later died at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu where he was referred to, adding, however, that the police extracted useful information before he gave up the ghost.
The spokesman said on August 13, detectives trailed and arrested the contact man who had run away after the nefarious act.
He said the contact man had been charged to court while the native doctor was helping the police in their investigations.
NAN.