Ritualist Kills 6-year-old In Bayelsa, Hides Body In Sack
A suspected ritualist in Bayelsa State has been apprehended for the alleged killing of a six-year-old boy in the Aretalin area of Ovom community, in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
The suspect, identified simply as Bobby, was arrested on Wednesday night with the boy’s mutilated body while attempting to escape to an unknown destination.
The discovery of the body reportedly angered Hausa-speaking residents in the area, who descended on the suspect. However, the swift intervention of some Hausa elders averted mob action, as they handed the suspect over to the police.
When a delegation from the national leadership of the Association of Women Against Gender-Based Violence (AWAGBV) and the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Bayelsa State chapter, visited the family of the deceased boy on Thursday, the family said that despite the temptation to resort to violence, the peace-loving Muslim community is demanding justice.
A member of the deceased’s family told the delegation that the boy had visited Yenagoa to celebrate Sallah, but “his life was cut short.”
The Chairperson of FOMWAN in Bayelsa, Hajia Aisha Abeki, who is also a member of AWAGBV, expressed sympathy over the incident, declaring that “women in the state are deeply saddened by the tragic event.”
“FOMWAN condemns the act and calls on the Bayelsa State Police Command to ensure justice is served,” she said.
Also speaking, the President of AWAGBV, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, strongly condemned the killing and urged relevant agencies to collaborate to ensure justice is achieved in the case.
As of the time of filing this report, the Chairperson of the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), Dr. Boma Tonye Miebai, along with FOMWAN Bayelsa and Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, confirmed to journalists that they had received assurances from the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Idu, that the matter was being handled and that the suspect had been taken into custody.
When contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, Musa Mohammed, confirmed the development, stating that “the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).”