Police Arrest Father For Poisoning Two Of His Children

Otasi from Agbobiri community in Biseni clan, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa, was said to have connived with his cousin, Levi and tied three of his children to a tree in the bush along Glory Land Drive, Igbogene and forcefully gave them insecticide to drink. Otasi has, however, denied involvement in the murder stating that Levi could have been responsible for the murder when he told him to return the children back to the village. His children namely, Success, Miracle and Godstime aged 14, 12 and 10, respectively, were alleged to have been bewitched by their mother (who is separated from Otasi) in a bid to destroy the family. It was gathered that Otasi had gone to Agbobiri on December 29 to pick the children for a deliverance service at a church (name withheld) at Yenegwe. But on the way he and Levi who accompanied him from the village stopped the bus and led the children into the bush where they were tied to a tree and forced to drink the sniper before they abandoned them for dead. Checks indicated that Success miraculously wriggled himself out of the bush and crawled to the road side where he was found unconscious and taken to the hospital on December 31, 2018. Success, after regaining full consciousness Tuesday morning, narrated his ordeal to police officers and a search was conducted at the bush where the decomposing bodies of Miracle and Godstime were recovered. Police officers arrested one Preye Ayah, said to be a cousin to Sunday, from the community and he took them to Sunday’s house at Okarki where he was arrested. Levi however could not be arrested as he was said to be at large. Otasi in an interview admitted that he took the children from the village to come to Yenagoa for a deliverance service but told Levi to return them to the village when the deliverance could not hold again. He feigned ignorance about the death of two of his children and said Levi should be held responsible for anything that happened top his children. Success in an interview at HILLEM Medical centre, Igbogene, alleged that his father and their uncle Levi led them to the forest where they were tied to the tree and given sniper to drink. Aminu Saleh, the Commissioner of Police, who led journalists to the scene of the crime in the bush, said the three children had been subjected to all kinds of harassment in the community over allegations of engaging in witchcraft. Saleh, who stated that no parent has the right to take the life of any child, said investigations were ongoing and the law would take its course.]]>