Edo man beheads daughter for money ritual

Operatives of Edo State Security Network (ESSN), have arrested one Emmanuel Ovwarueso for allegedly beheading his daughter for money ritual in Benin City, Edo State Capital.

The man, who was arrested in Uteh, Upper Mission, where he resides, was nabbed with the head of the deceased in a polythene bag.

It was gathered that Ovwarueso tied and gagged his wife to carry out the killing in her presence.

The suspect’s wife, whose name was yet-to-be disclosed, confessed the incident, saying “my husband’s attitude changed recently. He kept saying I should not look at him like a poor man anymore.

“At his place of work, he was buying drinks for everyone as if he was celebrating. Even his co-workers were surprised at his new spending style. He even told them that his money was very near. We never knew he had plans to use our daughter for a ritual.”

A member of the ESSN, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “We saw him that Thursday night with a bag, walking so fast like he was rushing to catch a flight. We stopped him, but he resisted. We asked what was inside the bag, he said it was his food. So, we searched the bag and found a human head inside it.

“We interrogated him and from the way he was talking, it was obvious he was hiding something. So, we took him to his house, and we met his wife tied down. We untied her and asked who tied her, she said it was her husband. She told us that her husband tied her down with a rope before killing their daughter.

“The suspect then took us to the place where he buried the little girl’s body in a shallow grave and the body of the girl was exhumed immediately.”

The suspect has since been handed over to the Nigeria Police, Edo State Command for further investigation.

Reacting to this incident, Dr. Bright Enabulele, a governorship aspirant in the forthcoming election in Edo, charged the police command to conduct a thorough investigation, emphasising the importance of ensuring that appropriate punitive measures, guided by the law, are meted out to the suspect.

Enabulele further called on all relevant authorities in Edo State to ensure that the suspect faces the full wrath of the law, as he maintained that the handling of the case should serve as a deterrent to individuals contemplating shortcuts to amass wealth.