Operatives of the Akenfa Division of the Bayelsa State Police Command have arrested a 34-year-old Father, Elekele Messiah,along the Edepie road, a suburb of Yenagoa, the state for inflicting life-threatening injuries with Knife on his Nine- years-old son, Promise Messiah, for allegedly eating the remaining soup in the house while he was hungry.
Leadership however an angry mob of neighbors in the area had beaten the accused father to a pulp before he was rescued by a concerned Naval officer and handed to the Police for proper investigation and prosecution for his allege act against his son.
Residents of the area also contacted the members of the State chapter of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) led by Demo Pamosoo Esq.
It was gathered that the accused father, who is an indigene of Okodi Village in Ogbia local Government area of the State had taken custody of the son from the wife in 2019 with a promise to provide better education for him in the state capital.
A neighbor, who pleaded anonymity, told leadership that instead of providing the child with proper education and good living condition, the accused father allegedly maltreated the child,” most nights, left on the street to sleep inside tricycle because the father’s girlfriend was visiting. The boy most times was said to be left without food for days but neighbors gave the little they could for the sympathy they had for the boy”.
“The boy most times was said to be left without food for days but neighbors gave the little they could for the sympathy they had for the boy. According to the neighbors with evidence that the father beat and tied the son under the sun for hours at will at the slightest provocation, at some point the little boy preferred staying on the street rather than at home with the father.”
It was gathered that the boy later started offering errand services to neighbors and in exchange was given food and clothing,” He did any job a boy of his age could do for a morsel of bread and became quite popular in the neighborhood.”
“ On the fateful day, some of the neighbors saw a deep cut on Promise’s chest and enquired from the father but to their surprise, the father arrogantly said, he gave razor blade cut on the son’s chest almost to the rib because he alleged the boy stole”
Confirming the development, by Demo Pamosoo Esq. disclosed that when FIDA was contacted on the plight and situation of the victim, “When neighbors reported the matter to FIDA, on interview with FIDANS, the boy said, the father gave him that cut because he ate the soup in the house due to hunger and on examination of the wound, it had started decaying for lack of proper treatment.”
“Immediately the boy was taken to Tobis Clinic for treatment while the father was arrested at Akenfa Division of the Nigerian Police, thereafter, FIDA contacted the boy’s mother who was said to have been prevented by the flood in her community from coming immediately but she later struggled to come and FIDA Bayelsa handed the boy over to the mother with N10, 000 for drugs to treat the wound and some palliatives due to the flood. FIDA cares about the paramount interest of the child”.
The spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, Asinim Butswat also confirmed the development,” Elekele Messiah,34 years, was arrested for inflicting grievous wound with razor blade on his Nine Years old son. Investigation is ongoing.”
About Author
