Outrage in Bayelsa as Police Inspector Brutally Assaults His Children Over Witchcraft Allegation
By Passman Akpos
There is rising outrage in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, following the alleged brutalisation of three children by their father, a serving police inspector attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the state command.
The accused officer, identified as Inspector Sunday Idey, was said to have brutally assaulted his children over the weekend after accusing them of being involved in witchcraft.
According to eyewitnesses, neighbours who heard the children’s cries for help quickly alerted operatives of the State Security Patrol Unit, Door Akpor, who intervened and rescued the victims. The children were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Human rights and gender-based violence advocacy groups have strongly condemned the incident. The Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Bayelsa State chapter, Mrs. Boma Toney Miebai; the National Association of Women Against Gender-Based Violence (WAGBV) led by Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry; and the Chairperson of the Do Foundation, Bayelsa chapter, Barrister Dianna Iluma Pius, have jointly petitioned the police over the matter.
The groups, alongside officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender, represented by the Permanent Secretary, visited both the hospital and the police station to obtain firsthand information about the victims’ condition and the progress of the investigation.
Mrs. Miebai disclosed that the case has been officially reported at the Akenfa Police Station, and that the organisations are pressing for charges of attempted murder and criminal assault against the accused officer. She also expressed concern for the safety of the children as they continue to receive treatment.
Speaking to journalists, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry commended the Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, for his swift intervention and for ordering the immediate arrest of Inspector Idey.
> “The CP has ordered the arrest of the accused and the transfer of the case to the police headquarters,” she confirmed.
Dr. Ogbise further stated that although the children sustained severe injuries, their condition has now stabilised.
> “We are calling on public-spirited individuals and groups to assist these children in rebuilding their lives after this horrific experience,” she appealed.
When contacted, Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, confirmed the development, assuring that the matter is being handled with the seriousness it deserves.
> “The accused officer has been arrested, and investigation is ongoing,” he said.
The shocking incident has sparked widespread condemnation across Bayelsa, with many calling for the full weight of the law to be applied to serve as a deterrent to other cases of child abuse and domestic violence.
