Two Children Kill Mother Over Witchcraft in Edo State
IG of Police, MD Abubakar
Barely three weeks after a retired solder killed his wife with a machete in Edo State, two children have allegedly murdered their mother, Mrs Howo Ojeifo, at Lampese in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state. The late Ojeifo, like the soldier’s wife, was killed with a machete by her children (names withheld), who accused her of witchcraft.
It was gathered that she would have survived if she had not yielded to her daughter’s pressure to accompany her and her younger brother to the farm. But unknown to the woman, her two children, aged 25 and 20 respectively had plotted to kill her in the farm. Sources told Daily Sun that the elder of the two assailants had
been having issues with her mother who she accused of witchcraft and her inability to progress in life. She was, however, said to have apologised to her mother few days to the incident, pleading that she was misled into believing that her mother was responsible for her misfortune.
Unknown to the woman, the unsolicited apology was a decoy and on the fateful day, the suspect appealed to her mother to accompany her somewhere.
It was gathered that despite her mother’s explanation that she was busy with house chores, the suspect said she would wait until she was through and eventually talked her mother into abandoning the cassava she was peeling and accompanied her daughter to the farm.
Mrs Ojeifo was led through a bush path to the farm and midway; her son brought out a machete and started ‘cutting their mother’.
An eyewitness, who the suspects allegedly threatened to deal with if he reported what he had seen, was said to have rushed down to report to the community but before people could be mobilised to the scene, the children had killed their mother.
When contacted yesterday, Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Moses Eguavoen confirmed the incident and said it happened on July 3 and that it was the former husband of the victim, Mr. Itowo who made a formal report to the police.
He said the suspects ran to Uzebba in Owan West council after committing the crime but that the covert intelligence of the police led to their arrest. “The case will soon be transferred to the state command for further investigation,” Eguavoen said.
