Clifford Orji

Clifford Nwa Orji (died August 17, 2012) was a Nigerian cannibal.^[1][2] He was also indicted in serial killings, kidnappings, and sale of human body parts and was arrested in 1999.^[3] Orji died in Nigeria's only super-maximum penitentiary, where he spent 13 years, having never been tried for his crimes.^[2][4]

Biography[]

Orji was originally from Enugu State, the south-eastern part of Nigeria but lived in Lagos state in the south-western part of Nigeria, where he originally guised as a razor-blade merchant but would later abandon the trade and proclaim himself to be a shaman and on multiple occasions would feign temporary insanity to dissuade people from coming close to his place of abode. Orji did not possess a house and lived under a bridge in Oshodi-Isolo^[5][6] in what could be well described as a lair and would later be commonly referred to as Clifford's kitchen.^[5]

Arrest[]

Clifford Orji after being arrested and paraded by the Nigerian police with a corpse and over a dozen human skulls discovered in his place of abode.

Orji was arrested on February 3, 1999, after a missing woman was discovered in a near death health crisis in his place of abode. Coupled with that was the discovery of fresh and cooked human body parts and multiple human skulls. He was arraigned at a Magistrate court in Ebute-Meta in Lagos state and was remanded in Kirikiri Prison, which is Nigeria's only super-maximum prison.^[7] After his arrest, a thorough search of his hideout was made, which revealed multiple decaying corpses and fresh human body parts. A cheque for ₦80,000($210) and a mobile phone were also discovered;^[7] this was suspicious because in 1999 the G.S.M had not been fully introduced to the Nigerian market, making possession and ownership of a mobile phone reserved for the opulent Nigerian elite upper-class.^[8]

Confession[]

Orji confessed to kidnapping and cannibalism.^[9][4] He stated that he and his accomplice named Tahiru had been kidnapping unsuspecting individuals and eating them since 1992. Orji, who had shown no remorse throughout the course of his arrest, stated that even if he were to be released he would continue kidnapping and indulging in cannibalism. Orji also made a very controversial claim that he either ate his victims or sold their body parts to high-ranking Nigerian politicians,^[10] who rewarded him financially hence his ability to own a mobile phone.^[3] His statements were, however, not substantiated with any cogent evidence.^[1]

Death[]

Orji had begun to suffer from full-blown psychosis^[11] whilst in Nigeria's Kirikiri maximum prison, where he was remanded for 13 years. He died on August 17, 2012.^[4][12]

References[]