Chinasa Ogbaga, a middle-aged man and native of Egwuagu Okpuitumo Community in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has been arrested by the police for allegedly butchering his two children and left one half-dead.
The accused person, who was said to have committed the act on Saturday night when villagers and other family members had gone to bed, allegedly took the children to the bush one after the other and slaughtered them.
Names of the two slain children were given as Chikamso Ogbaga, a six-year-old boy and Chizaram Ogbaga, four-year-old girl, while the third, who was lucky to have been rescued half dead, is Emmanuel Ogbaga, a two-year-old boy.
Emmanuel is currently receiving treatment at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
It was gathered that the suspect, in February this year, divorced his wife who gave birth to the three children.
The mother of the suspect, Mrs Ogbaga, said Chinasa divorced his wife early this year but had been living with his children peacefully before the incident.
She said the suspect was the one who had been training the children and had been visiting home regularly from Onitsha, Anambra State, where he lived.
The suspect’s mother said, “He is the one that has been responsible for their education. But I discovered recently that my son has an Ogbanje (He is possessed by an evil spirit) and I think that must have been the cause of his action.”
The suspect’s uncle, Mr Emmanuel Nwambam, described the incident as shocking.
“Mr Chinasa Ogbaga is a vulcanizer, based in Onitsha, Anambra State. He returned home as usual and the following day he followed his mother to the farm.
“When they came back from the farm, he was seen sharpening the cutlass on Saturday evening, which he later used for the barbaric act. Unfortunately, nobody knew his plans. He is not a violent man and he is not having any quarrel with anybody.
“After committing the crime, he met a vigilante officer in the village who interrogated him for moving about in the night with a cutlass. From there, it was discovered he had butchered his three children,” he said.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Loveth Odah, said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ekumenyi Police Station had reported the incident to the state command and the matter is under investigation.
