By Babatunde Solanke
One Innocent Uko is currently cooling his legs in one of the cells of the Akwa-Ibom State Police Command for allegedly matcheting to death his 26-year-old son, Boniface, burnt his body and dumped it in a pit latrine for harvesting cassava on his farm.
Uko, who hailed from Ebe Ikpe village in the Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state, was arrested by policemen after the incident was reported by the village head, Chief Akpan Aniekan, and the council chairman, Sylvester Akpan.
The State Polices Spokesperson, SP Odiko Macdon, who confirmed the arrest of Uko to newsmen in Uyo, the state capital, on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
According to Macdon, the suspect had confessed to killing his son with a machete and that he burnt and dumped his corpse in an abandoned pit toilet in his compound to conceal the act
“One Chief Akpan Aniekan, the village head of Ebe Ikpe village in the company of one Sylvester Akpan, the village council chairman reported that one Innocent Uko of Ebe Ikpe village in Essein Udim Local Government Area, used a machete and killed his son, Boniface, aged 26 years, burnt the corpse and dumped the carcass of the deceased in an abandoned pit toilet in his compound to conceal the act.
“On the strength of the report, police operatives in Essien Udim Divisional Headquarters visited the scene. The deceased’s burnt corpse has been deposited at the morgue. The suspect was arrested and has confessed to killing the deceased, his son on the grounds of bad character and incessant harassment and embarrassment.”
The police spokesperson also disclosed that one Charley John, who allegedly stole two seven-year-old children, is in their custody
According to Macdon, the suspect used his 10-year-old kid brother to lure the victims who are his schoolmates from their classroom for him to abduct them.
The police image maker said all the suspects would be charged in court at the end of the investigations.