A 33-year-old man, Mr Volt Blessing Gabriel, has been arrested by operatives of Delta State Police Command for using a hand saw to cut off the head of his one-year-old child for ritual purposes.
Gabriel, who killed the child, identified as Godspower, in a bush in Benin-City, Edo State, buried the deceased’s head by a palm tree and threw away the headless body.
Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command, Mr Bright Edafe, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said Gabrie admitted killing the child because he dreamt that if he did, and use the blood to rub his head, he will become rich.
Edafe added that the suspect was arrested after his wife discovered that the child was missing and reported to the police her suspicion of foul play on the part of her husband.
The statement read: “On 25/06/2022, at about 1030 hrs, one Mrs Success Oduwa, 24 years, of Peanuts junction, Obeh in Edo State, discovered that she has not seen their child since the morning of 24/6/2022 and started troubling the husband as to the whereabouts of the child.
“The husband told her that the child was with his sister in Warri. On getting to Warri, she discovered the husband was lying to her, hence her suspicion.
“She reported to the Commander, Quick Response Squad, that she suspected her husband named, Volt Blessing Gabriel 33 years, of the same address, to have killed their child named Godspower Gabriel, one year and eight months old, for ritual purposes.
“The Commander RRS detailed operatives, who swung into action, arrested the husband and handed him over to the DPO ‘A’ Division Warri for further investigation.
“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to have murdered the said child at Ewabogun bush by Catholic Road, Benin City, using a hand saw to cut off the head and buried it by a palm tree in the bush and threw away the headless body of the child.
“The suspect also stated that he killed the child because of a dream he had, where he saw a man who told him that if he kills the child and uses the child’s blood to rub his head, he would become rich. The suspect is in custody.”