A primary three pupil who threw her 20-month-old stepbrother into a well at Owode community in Akure North Local Government Area has said that she didn’t know he would die inside the well.
The suspect whose parents hailed from Sokoto State initially told her father that the deceased identified as Usman was kidnapped by persons wearing hijab but changed her story at the police station.
Explaining how she carried out the act, the suspect who wept continuously said late Usman’s mother has been maltreating her and that her father showed much affection for him since her mother left the home.
She stated that her action towards late Usman was because of the hatred she had for her stepmother.
The suspect however said her father told her to lie that her mother kidnapped Usman but she refused and opened up to the killing.
She said, “My step mum was maltreating me. At times, Usman will pass excreta in the plate we use to eat, but his mother will use the same plate to give me food.
“When I insist that I will not eat the food, she starts beating me until I finish the food. Immediately after eating the food, I’ll start vomiting.
“On the day of the incident, the same thing had happened. Later in the evening, I went to fetch water from the well and Usman followed me. A voice whispered to me that I should push him into the well and I did it. But I never knew that he will die.
“When they started looking for him and they couldn’t find him, my dad told me to lie that it’s my mother who sneaked into our home to kidnapped Usman.
“When I was told that everyone in the house will be taken to the palace of the monarch to swear through traditional means, it’s then that I confessed.”
Ondo Police Commissioner, Bolaji Salami said the suspect would soon be charged to court.
“She later informed her parent that the boy was inside the well, the deceased’s corpse was later recovered from the well. On receipt of the information, Detectives swung into action and arrested the suspect.
“On interrogation, she confessed to omitting the crime. The suspect will soon be arraigned in court.”
The Nation
