A suspect, Chinedu Ani, has denied allegations of involvement in ritual activities after authorities rescued his relative who had allegedly been chained and confined in his home for more than a year under disturbing conditions.
Ani made the disclosure during an interview from 2:01 on News Central TV, on Tuesday, 16 June, 2026, where he admitted keeping the woman restrained in his house for an extended period but rejected claims that the act was connected to charms or ritual practices.
The suspect said, “I tied her for a year and two months in my house. Whoever said my hand is involved in any kind of charm, it’s a lie.”
The case has attracted widespread attention following reports that the victim was kept in chains throughout her confinement. According to accounts surrounding the incident, the woman remained in the same spot for the duration of her captivity and was unable to move freely. Reports further indicated that she was forced to defecate, urinate and eat in the same location where she was chained until she was eventually rescued.
Ani’s admission has intensified public outrage, with many Nigerians expressing shock over the conditions under which the victim allegedly lived. Human rights advocates and social commentators have described the reported treatment as inhumane and have called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that allowed the confinement to continue for so long.