A 45-year-old man, Gbenga Ogunfadeke, has been arrested for allegedly chaining and locking his two children in solitary confinement which led to their death.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday in Ibiade, Ogunwaterside Local Government Area of the state by men of the State Security Network, otherwise known as the Amotekun Corps.
The state Commander of Amotekun, David Akinremi, confirmed the arrest of the suspect in a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
According to the Amotekun commandant, the suspect, a father of three, who accused his children of stealing, chained and locked them in solitary confinement, without food and water for over three months which led to the death of two of the children.
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He added that the suspect had been maltreating the children whose age ranges from 16, 17, and 18 since he took custody of them following his crashed marriage with their mother, Busola Otusegun.
Akinremi said the suspect was arrested following a complaint by his ex-wife.
He said, “One of the three children came across his aunty in Ibiade where he currently lives with his father (suspect) and narrated their experience with their father which led to the death of his two elder siblings – Yusuf Ogunfadeke (18 years) and Dasola Ogunfadeke (17 years) between April and June 2022 in Ijebu-Ode where they were all living with the suspect until he relocated back to Ibiade.
“According to him (the child), their father chained and locked them in solitary confinement, without food and water for over three months which led to the death of the two siblings but he miraculously survived the ordeal.”
The Amotekun commandant disclosed that the suspect when interrogated, admitted the alleged confinement of the children for months, but denied not feeding them and being responsible for their death.
According to the suspect, his action was based on the children’s involvement in stealing, hence the need to ensure they are prevented from such criminal acts.
He added that the suspect claimed that two deceased children were taken to hospital for treatment at different times when they fell ill, but unfortunately died in the process.
“What is however curious about his defence is that the hospital where he claimed the two children died in Ijebu Ode could neither be located nor where he allegedly buried them behind a rented apartment he lived in Ijebu-Ode before relocating to his present abode in Ibiade with the third child for possible exhumation be traced.
“The fact that he refused to make the incidents known to any member of the family also gives cause for concern as the suspect is a herbalist, thus further fueling the suspicion of having killed the deceased for possible rituals.
“Consequently, the case is being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation with a view to establishing further facts that will facilitate his prosecution,” Akinremi added.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
