The Lagos State Police Command have arrested one Benedict Anieze, a 29 years-old man, has been arrested for allegedly smashing his one month- old daughter head on the floor at Idimu area of Lagos State.
The suspect was said to have allegedly committed the act after the quarrel he had with his wife a day before the incident.
It was gathered that the suspect was drunk the day he committed the offence and he also tried to set himself ablaze, but he was stopped because of the scream for help from the mother of the baby that attracted neighbours in their compound which eventually led to his arrest.
Anieze, the suspect who was paraded by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, before journalists on Thursday at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, said the act was not intentional.
He said he was in the bathroom when he heard a knock on his door and he rushed out to picked his baby, unfortunately the baby slipped from his hand and hit her head on the floor and died on the spot.
“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 purpose of setting myself ablaze. What happened was not intentional. I am not a ritualists.
“I didn’t smashed her head on the floor 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 am not happy seeing the corpse of my daughter on the floor. What was coming to my mind was to killed myself. I did not have disagreement with my wife on the fateful day.
“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 intentional.”
He added that, when he was trying to rescue the baby when she fell from his hands, he sustained injuries showing the injured hand to the journalists.
“I am not happy with the death of my daughter, my wife have been taken away to one of her family to live with them, because if left alone she may commit suicide and I don’t want to loose the two of them same time.”
A police source said immediately after the baby died he threw the remain of the baby to an uncompleted property close to their house.
“I did it as a result of fear that some residents will lynch me. It was after I throw the corpse of my baby to the next compound that I went inside to set myself ablaze. I regretted my action, I beg God to forgive me of my sin and bless the soul of my baby.”
The Command spokesperson, however, said, Onyiyechi Ahieze, a one month old baby was killed by her father on April 6, 2022.
He said the baby was killed by her father who was in a drunken state and smashed her head on the floor after a quarrel with his wife, he added that the suspect would be charged to court after completion of investigation.
