A middle-aged man in Ebonyi State, Chinasa Ogbaga, has allegedly killed his two children and critically wounded another.
The incident occurred at Egwuagu Okpuitumo Community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Ogbaga reportedly committed the crime late Saturday when the villagers and other family members had gone to bed.
The deceased are Chikamso Ogbaga, his six-year-old son, and Chizaram Ogbaga, his four-year-old daughter.
Emmanuel Ogbaga, his two-year-old son, also critically injured, has been taken to Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AE-FETHA) where he is receiving medical attention.
The suspect allegedly took the children to the bush one after the other where he killed them.
It was gathered that the suspect early February this year, divorced his wife, the mother of the three children.
Bizarre
The accused was seen on the Saturday evening that he reportedly committed the crime sharpening his cutlass.
He was quoted to have said he was preparing the cutlass for frog hunting.
She said the suspect was the one also training the children in school and had been visiting home regularly from Onitsha, Anambra State, where he lived.
“I discovered recently that my son has an ogbanje (possessed by evil spirit) and I think that must have been the cause of his action,” the aged woman said.
Emmanuel Nwambam, an uncle to the suspect, described the incident as shocking.
“Mr Chinasa Ogbaga is a ‘vulcaniser’ (repairs tyres) based in Onitsha, Anambra State. He returned home as usual and the following day, he joined his mother to the farm.
“When they came back from the farm, he was seen sharpening the cuttlass that fateful evening, which he later used for the barbaric act. Unfortunately, nobody knew his plans. He is not (the) violent (type) and was not having any quarrel with anybody.
“After committing the crime, he met a vigilante officer in the village who interrogated him for moving with a cutlass at night. From there, it was discovered he had butchered his three children,” he said.
Mr Nwambam said when he (suspect) was arrested and handed over to the police by the villagers, “he confessed to have killed his two children and left the youngest half-dead”.
‘We are investigating’
Police spokesman, Loveth Odah, confirmed that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ekumenyi Division had reported the incident to the State Command.
She said the matter “was still being investigated.”
Premium Times