A 61-year-old man, Jeremiah Obifor, is currently cooling his heels at the Okokomaiko Police Division, for allegedly chopping off the right hand of an 11-year-old boy with a machete.
Eyewitness account has it that the boy, Goodluck Amechi, and two others had, last Friday, gone to fish at a fish pond on No 14, Isah Ibrahim Street, Mebamu area of Okokomaiko, belonging to Obifor.
Obifor, who also Lives on the same expanse of Land, had on sighting the boys launched an attack on them. He reportedly gave the boys a hot chase and caught Amechi.
As a way of punishing the boy for the act, Obifor had alleged taken laws into his hand, and cut off the right hand of the lad with a machete.
According to a resident who gave his name as James, ” It was the shout for help from Amechi that attracted the attention of residents of the area. We all ran out of our homes to find out what was wrong, only to find him bleeding through his right hand in front of Obifor’s house.
“We asked what had happened and he said it was Obifor that cut off his hand. We hurried into Obifor’s compound, dragged him out, asking why he had to cut the boy’s hand, but he denied the act. It was two of his friend that then told us that they saw Obifor cutting off the minor’s hand.
“We asked him where the other part of the hand was, and he said it was not with it. We later searched for it around the fish pond and found it. We rushed the boy to the hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.”
James also told the Nigerian Xpress that Obifor was almost lynched by residents but for the speedy intervention of policemen from the Okokomaiko Police Division.
The community youth leader, Mr. Obodo revealed that he was the one that picked up the hand. He said, ” The hand was still alive when I picked it, I however dropped it out of fear because I was still in awe as to why a man who is old enough to have the boy as his grandson, would do such.
“It was another resident that picked up the hand later. Unfortunately, the chooped off hand had died before the victim was rushed to the Igando General Hospital, after he was rejected by New Life Hospital.”
Narrating his own side of the story, the victim said he did not go near Obifor’s fish pond.
He said, “and my friends went to fish in a swampy area near the man’s house. It is something we do always, whenever it rains. While we were there, the man just came out of his house, accosted me and my friend’s, who later ran away, and he cut off my wrist with a machete. He took the hand away.
“I had to shout as loud as I could for help. We did not go near his pond.”
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officers, Elkana Bala, a Deputy Superintendent of Police said the matter was reported to the police by Doris Isaac.
“The incident happens on Friday, June 7, 2019 at about 8:20am. It was Doris Isaac, of No.6 Ajanaku Street, Okokomaiko, that reported at Okokomaiko Police Station. She said her foster son, Goodluck Amechi was attacked with a machete by Jeremiah Obifor and cut off his right hand.
” The victim was rushed to Igando General Hospital. The suspect alleged that, he saw the victim around his fish pond and thought that he came to steal his fish, that is why he attacked him.”
Bala said Investigation is ongoing and the suspect will be charged to court soon.
