Just like in the Shakespearean play ‘Macbeth’ who murdered sleep by killing King Duncan, someone in Ekwulumili community of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State has murdered sleep by killing six siblings at the same time.

“Sleep no more! Macbeth is murdering sleep.” Innocent sleep. Sleep that soothes away all our worries. Sleep that puts each day to rest. Sleep that relieves the weary laborer and heals hurt minds. Sleep, the main course in life’s feast, and the most nourishing,’ Shakespeare wrote.

The six siblings namely: Chukwuebuka, 17; Chinemerem, 15; Afomachukwu, 13; Chekwubechukwu, 11; Onyekachukwu, 9 and Chukwuziterem, 6 were poisoned to death after they came back from school and ate steamed flour mill and soup kept in the kitchen.

The two parents were separated on religious differences and the children have been living with their father, Apostle Chuks who is a member of the Brotherhood of Cross and stars.

There were allegations and counter-allegations on the cause of the children’s tragic death. Some people accused the father of sacrificing them to the brotherhood for more powers while others accused the estranged first wife who was not at the burial ceremony as they perceived it to be strange.

According to the sister to the father of the children, Mrs Alice Nnadozie who rushed them to hospital during the incident said they all died one after the other, perhaps, as a result of delayed attention due to  the absence of hospital in the community. That black Saturday, a dark cloud literally hung on the community in broad daylight even as that nocturnal bird, the owl, hooted at noon.

She stated further that relevant authority has stepped into the matter and investigation is being carried out accordingly.

“When it happened, we involved the Homicide Department of the Criminal Investigation Department. They came and collected the samples of the food and the flour mill and went on to conduct autopsy.

“The police have not disclosed the result of the autopsy to us. They only released the corpses to us to enable the community bury them. They said that when they conclude, they would write their formal report and submit it to their boss. They can’t release it by half. They said that they won’t give us until they submit it to the Commissioner of Police.”