Man Flogs 3 Years Son To Death In Ebonyi For Urinating On Bed

What could have pushed a 26- year-old man, Ikechukwu Okoro to beat his only son, three-year-old Chinedu to death? According to shocked neighbours, Ikechukwu who lives with his only son woke up by 4.30 am on September 13, 2013 to discover that the sick boy had defecated on the bed. In anger, he picked a cane and flogged him mercilessly until then boy gave up the ghost. Not knowing what to do afterwards, he picked up the dead boy and headed to a nearby clinic where he was confirmed dead.

Okoro, who is now in police custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), said that everything happened in a fit of anger.   “It was out of annoyance that I flogged my son, Chinedu to death. The boy had been sick for some time. It was when I woke up around 4.30am that fateful day that I discovered that Chinedu had defecated on my mattress.

“He was the only son I had. When I discovered that he had defecated on the bed we were sleeping together. I went outside to look for a stick to flog him, just like any other normal father would have done to his recalcitrant child. I found a bitter leaf stick and used it to flog him twice.  I didn’t know that it could lead to his death.

Ikechukwu Okoro who hails from Isieta Amanato, in Isu Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, explained that his wife, Uchechi abandoned him in 2009 with Chinedu, his only son who is now  deceased.

He blamed Satan for the misfortune. “It was Satan that used me. When I was flogging him, I perceived an irritating odor from his mouth and I stopped flogging him immediately. I rushed him to a nearby clinic around my area.  The same doctor that I took my son to, took us to another hospital.  There, the doctors  told me after  examination that my child was dead.”

Okoro said he could not believe it when he brought the corpse of his child home, and raised alarm that attracted the attention of neighbors. “They came to ask me what killed my son. I confessed to them that he died as a result of the flogging  I gave him because he defecated  on my mattress.”

“My son had been sick, his stomach was swollen before I flogged him,” Okoro lamented.

One of the neighbours, Ogbonnaya Orie who was the only person who pleaded with Ikechukwu  to  stop beating his son said  all his efforts fell on deaf ears. “And when Chinedu died, he begged me to assist him to bury the  child but I refused,” he said.

Ebonyi State Police Command through its State Criminal Investigations Department, (SCID) is currently interrogating Ikechukwu Okoro  at Isieta Amanato Isu Onicha.

The Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Maigari Abbati Dikko said that it was a shock to him that  the suspect, Ikechukwu confessed to have flogged his own son, Chinedu to death.

CP Dikko explained that the incident happened on September 13, 2013 when the deceased, Chinedu   who had been sick was discovered to have  defecated on his father’s bed about 4.30 am.

The police commissioner said the case was reported at Isu Onicha Divisional Headquarters of the police and the suspect was arrested with his son’s corpse. The CP said the case had been transferred to the State CID for further investigation. He  said  the suspect would be charged  to court for murder.