I never expected that a small act of kindness would mark the beginning of my downfall. My journey to Canada was supposed to be a dream come true—a place of endless possibilities and bright prospects. But two months later, I found myself back in my Nigerian village, empty-handed, all because of a fateful encounter with an old woman named Margaret. She wasn’t just any ordinary woman; she was a master of disguise, a witch who set her eyes on my fortune and future.

It all began innocently. I arrived in Toronto filled with ambition and enthusiasm, and soon got involved in community activities, even volunteering with local groups. One cold, rainy afternoon, I noticed an elderly woman, hunched and shivering, struggling to carry her grocery bags across the street. She looked frail, weak, and alone. Without hesitation, I went over to help her. She gave me a smile that felt slightly off, almost unsettling, and introduced herself as Margaret.

She explained that she lived alone and had no family nearby. She asked if I could help her carry her groceries home, and I agreed, thinking it was the least I could do. After all, what harm could come from helping an old woman in need? When we reached her apartment, a strange chill ran down my spine. The place was dimly lit, filled with the smell of herbs, and strange symbols carved into the walls. She thanked me, offered me tea, and insisted I drink it to “warm up.” Although I felt uneasy, I took a sip out of politeness.

In the days following that encounter, strange things began to happen. I started having unsettling dreams of being back in my village, endlessly working but achieving nothing. Initially, I brushed it off as homesickness, but the dreams grew stronger, leaving me tired and uneasy. It felt as if something was calling me back to Nigeria, a mysterious pull that I couldn’t ignore.

One day, a friend noticed my exhausted state and commented on my drastic change in appearance. Concerned, he urged me to visit a spiritual healer. Reluctantly, I agreed, willing to try anything to feel normal again. The healer looked at me intently and asked if I had recently offended anyone. Confused, I mentioned my encounter with the old woman. She sighed, her eyes widening, and said, “That woman is no ordinary person. She’s tied your fortune to hers—she’s cursed you.”

The nightmare only intensified from that point on. I felt my fortune slipping away. Job opportunities vanished, my bank account drained faster than I could keep up, and even my friends started to distance themselves. It was as if an unseen force was sucking away everything I had worked for. Soon, I couldn’t afford my rent, food, or basic needs. The harsh reality set in: I had no choice but to return to Nigeria, defeated, without a penny to my name.

Two months after arriving in Canada with so much hope, I was back in my village, surrounded by familiar sights that now felt tainted by my experience. The dreams I’d had in Canada had become my reality. I was home again, jobless, broke, and with an uncertain future. Worse still, it felt like I could hear Margaret’s voice echoing in my mind, laughing at my misery, as if she had orchestrated this entire ordeal.

Helping others has always been a principle I value deeply, but this experience taught me a difficult lesson—not everyone who appears in need is what they seem. Sometimes, even acts of kindness can become traps when dealing with forces beyond our understanding. Looking back, I realize Margaret wasn’t just an old woman in need; she was a manipulative spirit who saw my innocence as an opportunity to ensnare me.

Now, as I sit here, recounting my story, I feel the weight of the experience and the lessons it has left behind. My Canadian dream turned into a nightmare, not because of the country but because of that fateful encounter. Among my people here in the village, where there is understanding and spiritual insight, I can begin to heal and rebuild. Though I may have returned empty-handed, my spirit remains intact. My name is Chijindu Uwakwe, and I am determined to rise again, stronger and wiser.

The Enugu State Police Command has announced the arraignment and remand of 30-year-old Tsehemba Joshua for the alleged armed robbery and murder of 19-year-old scrap scavenger, Yusuf Ibrahim.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, which was also shared on the command’s X account and titled, “Enugu Police Arrest, Arraign and Remand Male Suspect for Conspiracy, Armed Robbery, and Murder of Scrap Scavenger.”

“Joshua is accused of conspiring with two accomplices, currently at large, to rob and strangle the victim. He has been remanded to the Enugu Correctional Custodial Centre following his court appearance,” the statement read.

Operatives from the Udenu Police Division arrested Joshua after a community alert about a shallow grave discovered at Ojo River, Ogbodu-Aba, Obollo Community.

“The suspect was arrested by operatives from the Udenu Police Division of the Command, following a community alert regarding a shallow grave discovered in a bush at Ojo River in Ogbodu-Aba, Obollo Community, Udenu LGA,” it noted.

Joshua confessed to luring the victim with a fake scrap motor vehicle sale, robbing him of N100,000, and then strangling and burying him on October 2, 2024.

“The suspect confessed to luring the victim under the pretence of selling a scrap motor vehicle propeller before robbing him of N100,000, strangling, and burying his body in a shallow grave on October 2, 2024.

“After a thorough investigation of the case by the Campus Monitoring/Anti-Cultism Section of the State CID Enugu, the suspect was arraigned and subsequently remanded, pending further court proceedings,” the statement concluded.

In August, the state command also detained a 30-year-old man for the alleged murder of his neighbour’s four-year-old daughter while she was sleeping.

The Command, in September, stated that it was investigating the murder of the Chairman of Ogbete Main Market Traders Association, Stephen Aniago.

Residents of Isheri Estate Community at the OPIC end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have expressed worries over the safety of their properties as hoodlums looted an evacuated building in the area.

PUNCH Metro learnt that there was panic in the community on Monday night after a group of boys numbering three broke into the building inside Riverview Estate.

It was gathered that the hoodlums after looting the property, scaled the fence of the building and tried to escape.

The security guard who was on duty at the time however sighted them and decided to give them a hot chase.

One of them was arrested while others were said to have escaped.

Speaking to our correspondent, on Saturday, the chairman of Riverview Estate, Abayomi Akinde, said some items looted in the building were abandoned by others who escaped.

He said, “I was on my balcony when I heard the security guard shouting ‘thief, thief’ and by the time I came out to check, I saw him chasing one of them while they were both on the street. I put on my boots and decided to join to apprehend the thief. Although I decided to return because I was not holding anything, I later learnt that one of them was caught. He was new to the environment and could not navigate his way out. Meanwhile, others abandoned the looted items while trying to escape.”

Akinde added that the arrested suspect was detained by security awaiting the return of the building owner.

According to him, the suspect was badly injured in his legs as he was pierced by some thorny weeds in the flood while trying to flee.

“We later discovered that the person who led them had worked in a company in the community before after he led the police to his accomplice.”

Another resident, Kingsley, who spoke to our correspondent, said the incident caused panic in the community and fear in the minds of some residents who had left temporarily.

He said, “We were shocked when we heard about the incident because it looked like some hoodlums are trying to exploit our situation now. Although such hardly happened during the flood, this has made people more security conscious.”

While citing instances of some residents returning to the community to check on their properties, another resident, Kola Balogun, said others who could not come around had made several calls to ascertain the safety of their homes.

“Since the incident happened, people have been coming home to examine their properties to be sure thieves had not broken into them. Some have also been calling to be sure if they were not affected. I have received many calls, too, like some people I know.”

Meanwhile, Akinde said the extent of the break-ins could only be known once the flood receded and residents returned to their homes.

“We have to wait till the flood recedes and when people return to their homes to be sure if there are similar cases,” he added.

PUNCH Metro reports that some residents had evacuated the community following the flood occasioned by the release of water from the Oyan River Dam by the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Authority.