Father Arrested for Allegedly Killing Two-Month-Old Son
A trainee herbalist, Ifagbenga Taiwo, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police for allegedly murdering his 41-day-old son in what is suspected to be a ritualistic killing. The tragic incident took place in the Keesi area of Adatan, Abeokuta, the state capital.
According to reports, the mother of the infant, Raimat Wasilat, left her son lying on a bed inside their home while she went outside to wash clothes. When she returned inside, she was horrified to find her baby’s lifeless body with a slit throat.
A video clip obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday featured a local resident, Mrs. Adewumi, who recounted the shocking discovery. She explained that the mother’s screams for help drew the attention of neighbors, who quickly gathered at the scene. Upon entering the room, it was revealed that the assailant had likely entered through the wooden window, slit the infant’s throat, and left the child in a pool of blood.
Mrs. Adewumi described the scene, saying, “We heard a noise and rushed to the house. It was then we found that someone had entered through the window and killed the baby. The mother had been washing clothes outside, and when she came in, she found her son, only 41 days old, dead.”
Another resident, Mukaila Olaide, who is the infant’s grandfather, also recalled hearing the distressing noise and rushing to the house, where he found the baby’s body. “We were sitting a bit away from the house when we heard the noise. We ran to check and found the boy had been slaughtered. That was all we saw. The police came and took both the mother and father to the station,” he said.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident in a phone interview on Tuesday. She explained that the mother had accused her husband, Ifagbenga Taiwo, of committing the murder, leading to his arrest. According to Odutola, “At around 2:00 p.m., the police received a report about the murder of a two-month-old baby, Ifakorede Ajani, in the room where the mother had placed him on a bed. The mother, Raimat Wasilat, strongly suspected her husband, Ifagbenga Taiwo, who is training to be a herbalist. She believes he intended to use the child’s blood for ritual purposes.”
Odutola confirmed that Taiwo has been detained, and the police have investigated the crime scene. The infant’s body has been sent for autopsy, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to uncover the details of this horrific act.