Filicide: Father Arrested in Edo over Alleged Killing, Secret Burial of Teenage Son

By Usman Aliyu

The Police Command in Edo has arrested a 49-year-old man over the alleged killing of his 15-year-old son and the secret burial of the boy within their family compound.

ASP Eno Ikoedem, the command’s Public Relations Officer, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)on Sunday in Benin.

Ikoedem explained that the incident occurred in Uhe community, Igueben Local Government Area of Edo.

She said the arrest followed credible intelligence received by the police on Dec. 6, which prompted operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer to visit the residence, where the disturbing report was confirmed.

According to the police spokesperson, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly assaulted the teenager with a stick on Dec. 5 at about 7:00 p.m.

This attack, she said, reportedly led to the boy’s death.

“The suspect allegedly dug a grave within the family compound and secretly buried the corpse,” Ikoedem said.

She added that the deceased’s grandmother and the suspect’s mother, an 82-year-old woman living in the same house, provided critical information that aided the investigation.

The spokesperson explained that following due administrative procedures, police exhumed the grave, documented the scene with photographs and recovered the stick allegedly used in committing the offence as an exhibit.

The suspect, he stated, had been taken into custody, while investigations continue to unravel the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

She said the Commissioner of Police in the State, Monday Agbonika, had ordered the transfer of the case to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for thorough investigation and prosecution.

She said Agbonika warned against all forms of violence, urging the residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.

She stressed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and enforcing the rule of law.

(NAN)