Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria – Outrage has erupted in Bayelsa State following the arrest of a police inspector accused of brutally assaulting his three children over allegations of witchcraft.
Inspector Sunday Idey, attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Igbogene Police Division, was taken into custody by operatives of the police special unit, Operation Doo Akpor, after neighbors raised alarm over the alleged attack. Witnesses reported that Inspector Idey accused his children of being members of a witchcraft group and subjected them to severe physical abuse over the weekend.
The children were rescued by officers and rushed to a hospital for treatment. Their condition has not yet been disclosed.
Their bodies and faces show remarkably horrific injuries and swelling of the eyes typically depicting a protracted and systematic torture by their own father
Confirming the incident, Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State, CP Francis Idu, stated on Friday that the officer had been arrested and that a full investigation was underway. “The matter is being treated with utmost seriousness, and justice will be pursued,” he assured.
The case has sparked widespread condemnation across Yenagoa, the state capital, in other part of the country with residents expressing shock that a law enforcement officer could turn against his own children in such a horrible manner.
Human rights advocate and Head of the Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN), Sam Ikpe Itauma, known for his work against child witchcraft stigmatization, reacted strongly:
“There is a country where even police brutalize or kill their children over witchcraft! Now who then will protect children in Nigeria?”
Itauma said he and his organization, CRARN had handed more than a dozen of cases where police officers tortured their own children over the flimsy witchcraft allegations. He wondered why the government across the country have continued to treat such issue with levity.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about child protection in Nigeria, particularly the persistent belief in witchcraft that has led to abuse, stigmatization, and even killings of minors in some communities.
International observers have also raised alarm, noting that the case underscores the urgent need for stronger child protection frameworks and accountability within law enforcement agencies.
As investigations continue, advocacy groups are calling for swift justice and renewed efforts to combat harmful cultural practices that endanger children’s lives.
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