A middle aged man, Mr Chinasa Ogbaga, a native of Egwuagu Okpuitumo Community in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has allegedly butchered 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, 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 police in the state have arrested the suspect for investigation and eventual prosecution.
The mother of the suspect, Mrs Ogbaga, told our correspondent in tears that her son 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 Onitcha, Anambra State, where he lived.
The suspect’s mother said, “He is the one that has ben 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.”
Also in an interview, 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.