A middle age man is now in police custody in Ebonyi State after slaughtering his three children like fowls Saturday night. Chinasa Ogbaga allegedly took the children into the bush at night and split their throats one after the other. Two died immediately while the third is said to be in critical condition at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.
Ogbaga reportedly committed the crime late Saturday when the villagers and other family members had gone to bed.
The murdered kids are Chikamso Ogbaga, 6, and Chizaram Ogbaga, his four-year-old daughter.
Emmanuel Ogbaga, his two-year-old son, also critically injured, has been taken to Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AE-FETHA) where he is receiving medical attention.
The suspect allegedly took the children to the bush one after the other where he killed them.
It was gathered that the suspect early February this year, divorced his wife, the mother of the three children.
The accused was seen on the Saturday evening that he reportedly committed the crime sharpening his cutlass.
He was quoted to have said he was preparing the cutlass for frog hunting.
The suspect’s mother, Mrs Ogbaga, who spoke with reporters said the suspect divorced his wife early this year, “but had been living with his children peacefully before the incident.”
She said the suspect was the one also training the children in school and had been visiting home regularly from Onitsha, Anambra State, where he lived.
“I discovered recently that my son has an ogbanje and I think that must have been the cause of his action,” the aged woman said.
Emmanuel Nwambam, an uncle to the suspect, 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 joined his mother to the farm.
“When they came back from the farm, he was seen sharpening the cutlass that fateful evening, which he later used for the barbaric act. Unfortunately, nobody knew his plans. He is not (the) violent (type) and was not having any quarrel with anybody.
“After committing the crime, he met a vigilante officer in the village who interrogated him for moving with a cutlass at night. From there, it was discovered he had butchered his three children,” he said.
Mr Nwambam said when he (suspect) was arrested and handed over to the police by the villagers, “he confessed to have killed his two children and left the youngest half-dead”.