ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
A man identified simply as Vwede, has allegedly flogged his two-year-old son to death in Bayelsa State.
The incident which occured at Imiringi in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state heightened tempers among residents and neighbours of the suspect.
Vwede, said to be an indigene Delta State, allegedly rushed the child to a hospital at Imiringi when he discovered that the boy had fainted after the merciless flogging.
It was gathered that the suspect had since absconded after health workers on duty informed him that the child he brought to the clinic had died.
Some of the hospital workers and neighbours of Vwede were said to have contacted the Do Foundation, a non-governmental organisation involved in the campaign against gender violence and protection of the child.
Lawyers and those involved in the campaign against gender violence in the state on Tuesday expressed anger and outrage over the incident that occured on Sunday.
Head of Legal, DO Foundation, Stanley Aimiekumo, said Vwede’s landlord alerted the foundation to the incident.
He claimed that the deceased son was constantly being tortured by the father before the latest incident.
It was also learnt that the mother of the deceased boy might have abandoned the child with his father and ran away.
The State Coordinator, DOF, Barr. Comfort Itoru, who confirmed the development to reporters, said the incident had been reported to the Akenfa Police Station and that the ‘killer-father’ had since absconded.
Itoru said the foundation had since reached out to other advocacy groups in the state including the State Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) to prevail on the men of the Nigeria Police to investigate and prosecute the man who killed an innocent child.
“We have reached to other advocacy groups over the incident. We however called on residents of the state not to keep quiet in the face of noticeable violence against the girl child, underaged and women,” she stated.
Calls to spokesman for Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, indicated that his phone was ‘out of reach’.