FOLLOWING AlimoshoToday's story about Mr Benedict Anieze who smashed his one-month-old daughter’s head on the floor in the Idimu area of Lagos State, Anieze has insisted that the incident was unintentional.
Meanwhile, the police in the state countered him, accusing Anieze of committing the act under the influence of alcohol.
According to the Lagos State Police Spokeperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin while briefing members of the press, “This deals with a case of the murder of a one-month-old baby, Onyiyechi Anieze by her father, one Benedict Anieze in Idimu, Lagos on 06/04/2022.
“The victim was killed by Benedict, who in a drunken state, smashed her (Onyiyechi’s) head on the floor after a quarrel with his wife. The suspect will soon be charged to court.”
The suspect while speaking with members of the press admitted to having killed the baby, but insisted that it was not intentional and that the baby slipped off his hands.
“I was in the bathroom when I heard a sound on my door. I quickly rushed out to pick up my daughter but she slipped from my hand and hit her head on the floor.
“Immediately I saw what I did, I dashed out of my apartment and headed straight to where I kept my gallon of petrol with the intention of setting myself ablaze. What happened was not intentional. I am not a ritualist.
“I didn’t smash her head on the flour as claimed by the police. When the incident occurred, I wasn’t myself anymore, I wanted to set myself ablaze to die with the baby.
“I was not happy seeing the corpse of my daughter on the floor. What was coming to my mind was to kill myself. I didn’t have a disagreement with my wife on the fateful day," he said.
He also admitted that “It was true that the death of my daughter was from me. My wife was not at fault. It was true I killed my baby it was an accident but am not happy. I am a foolish person to kill my daughter it was not an intentional one.
“I am not happy with the death of my daughter. My wife has been taken away to one of her family members to live with them because if she is left alone she may commit suicide, and I don’t want to lose the two of them at the same time.”
A police source, however, told journalists that the suspect threw the body of the dead baby in an abandoned building in the area.
While responding to the accusation, Anieze said, “I did it as a result of fear that some residents will lynch me. It was after I threw the corpse of my baby into the next compound that I went inside to set myself ablaze. I regretted my action. I beg God to forgive my sin and bless the soul of my baby.”
Anieze also claimed to have sustained injuries in his hand while trying to rescue the dead baby, when she was slipping off his hands.
