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Killer Children On The Prowl, Murdered 88 Parents In 6yrs

Published

4 years ago

April 2, 2022

No fewer than 88 fathers and mothers have been murdered by their children in Nigeria within a period of six years, data compiled by Daily Trust has shown.

The data revealed that the killers – sons and daughters – mostly between the ages of 18 and 35, used knives, sticks, pestles, shovels and other tools to stab, hack or bludgeon their parents to death.

According to the data, the states with the highest number of parricides are Niger, 7; Lagos and Enugu 6 each; Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi, 5 each; with Kano and Edo, 4 each.

Osun, Abia, Ekiti, and Ondo record 3 cases each; Bayelsa, Adamawa, Kwara, Delta, Bauchi, Jigawa, Ogun, Yobe, Oyo, Gombe, FCT and Imo have 2 cases each; while Kaduna, Kogi and Plateau recorded 1 case each.

Of the total of 87 parricide cases that took place within the six-year period, 39 mothers and 45 fathers were murdered in different circumstances.

Why killings persist

In as many as four out of five cases recorded, the killers admitted that they were under the influence of drugs when they perpetrated the act.

However, others attributed the killings to rituals, desperation for inheritance, cannibalism, witchcraft and other disagreements with the parents in terms of marriage and money issues.

Experts who spoke to Daily Trust said they were appalled that most children these days don’t have an emotional attachment, empathy and love for their parents to the extent that very few gave a second thought before harming them.

“In the past, parents meant a lot to children, especially in an African setting. Parents meant everything to their children; they were their providers, mentors and protectors,” said Zainab Habibu, a 63-year-old housewife.

“Sadly, modernity has corrupted that affinity to the extent that children can sacrifice their parents for worldly things. In the past, a child cannot afford to look directly into the eyes of his father or mother but it is no longer the same. This is basically why we are witnessing cases of children attacking their parents,” she said.

According to the statistics, the highest number of parricides was recorded in 2017 when 14 mothers and 8 fathers were murdered, followed by 8 mothers and 11 fathers in 2018; 7 mothers and 12 fathers in 2019; 7 mothers and 4 fathers in 2020; then 2 mothers and 6 fathers in 2021.

However, the first quarter of 2022 has begun with an early surge in the number of parricides, with 4 mothers and 4 fathers already brutally murdered by their offspring.

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The latest among the cases was of a 31-year-old man, Nicodemus Ignatius, who allegedly beat his 75-year-old father to death.

Nicodemus, who hails from Unguwan Bistel in Song town, Song LGA of Adamawa State, carried out the act on March 3, 2022, shortly after returning from a drinking bar.

He was said to have been arrested sometime in November 2021 for threatening to kill his father before he was released after the septuagenarian pleaded on his behalf.

His neighbours, who don’t want to be named, told newsmen that the suspect clubbed his father to death.

“Nicodemus had returned home from the bar where he usually drinks at about 8pm on that fateful day and met his late father and mother in the room and decided to lock both of them in.

“But the 75-year-old Ignatius, sensing danger and afraid of the possibility of his son setting the house on fire, jumped through the window to escape.

“Unknown to him, his son armed himself with a stick. The suspect pounced on his father and hit him with the stick and broke his head, resulting in his untimely death,” one of the neighbours said.

But after taking the life of his father, the suspect, while confessing to the crime, blamed his action on the influence of Indian Hemp.

“I smoked Indian hemp on that fateful day… I bitterly regret my action,” he had said.

The Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect would be charged to court upon completion of the investigation and cautioned the public to desist from taking the law into their hands.

Another famous case of matricide was when Garba Abubakar from Akko LGA of Gombe State allegedly strangled his biological mother to death.

Parading the suspect, the Commissioner of Police, Ishola Babaita, said Garba allegedly murdered his mother because she always warned him against excessive intake of hard drugs.

The CP said that Garba’s act was based on indiscriminate use of outlawed substances, and the matter is being investigated.

“The suspect strangled his mother and as a result, she fell down and became unconscious because she normally advises him to stop taking hard drugs.

“The victim was rushed to the General Hospital Kumo where she was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he said.

Babaita regretted that, “sadly, the woman was murdered by her own son. That is the effect of drug.”

He advised parents to pay more attention to their children, and make sure they do not consume or become addicted to hard drugs.

Girls on the rampage too

It’s quite unusual to find a girl killing her parents, especially in an African setting. Therefore, the gruesome murder of one Eka Ime by her daughter, Mary Imewe, was a shock that gripped residents of Umoh Obot Street, off Nto Akpan Inyang in the Ikot-Ikpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

It was gathered that the killer daughter murdered her mother and dismembered her before she was apprehended.

Angry youths of the community, who were irked by the bizarre manner in which Mary allegedly murdered her mother, compelled her to pack the body parts into a basin and was paraded round the community.

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According to a source, when the police came to arrest Mary, she stated that she did not care about her arrest and detention.

“I don’t care if I am arrested and detained by the police,” the suspect was quoted to have said before being bundled into a waiting police van.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, who confirmed the incident, said he was surprised that a daughter could commit such a dastardly act against her mother.

He said no right-thinking person would slaughter her mother in such a gruesome manner, adding that the police would conduct a test to ascertain her state of mind before she would be charged.

“The story is true; she butchered her mum. We are suspecting that she is not of a sound mind, but we do not have any medical capacity yet to say so.

“Medical personnel will have to determine if she is of a sound mind or not, because no right-thinking person will kill her mother by butchering her.

“As we speak, we have her in our custody. We have gathered the parts of her mother and deposited them in the mortuary.

“By the time we ascertain her state of mind, we will charge her accordingly. The test will determine the extent of her culpability in the crime,” he said.

In another case in 2017, a 20-year-old man, Adamu Mai-Bisco, hacked his father, mother and two sisters to death at Batayya ward in Potiskum town, Yobe State.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Toyin Gbadegesin, said the suspect used a shovel to kill all four members of his family.

Gbadegesin also attributed the action of the suspect to be under the influence of hard drugs.

One of their neighbours, who doesn’t want to be named, said the parents had threatened to report their son to security agents for allegedly being a member of Boko Haram, hence his action against them.

“He didn’t take that threat lightly and so decided to kill them while they were all asleep,” a source informed.

Eye witness, Malam Ibrahim, told our correspondent that “Ado as the suspect was fondly called by his late mother came out of the house with a shovel and jackknife and said he had wiped out his family.

“He told me ‘na gama da su’ meaning ‘l have finished them.’ I asked what he meant by that, and he started chasing me with the knife. He was intercepted by good Samaritans, and handed over to the police around 1am,” he had said then.

The family members killed were his father Malam Magaji Mai-Bisco, 65; Mother, Mama Ado, 50; sisters Aisha, 16; and Zainab,14.

While these are some of the cases reported by the media, others were not reported or deliberately covered by the family to avoid embarrassment.

Experts speak menace, way out

A psychologist, Dr Mahmud Sarki, said moral degradation, depression and drugs abuse were responsible for all the parricidal cases happening in society now.

“In a situation where parents do not take responsibility for feeding, accommodating, schooling and other welfare needs of the children, the parents are provoking the children and this may likely happen.

“Once a child becomes depressed, anything can happen, he can kill. Coupled with this is the peer group, which is more powerful than the parents.

“They influence these children to engage in drugs abuse, by telling them that it will take their minds off depression and convince them that their parents are well-to-do but don’t take care of them.

“So, by the time he gets intoxicated with drugs, he will kill the parents without remorse because he’s been made to hate them,” he said.

Sarki said if research can be conducted to generate data, of the parricide cases recorded in Nigeria within three months, North West alone has more than eight cases.

“So long as parents continue giving birth to children they cannot cater for, the problem will persist,”

When asked to proffer solutions, he said, “The solutions must be multifaceted; which include public enlightenment through parents and community leaders, youth empowerment, because without employment one cannot predict what the youth can do.”

He attributed the root cause of the problem to a relationship between unemployment, anxiety and depression.

“In this, we have problem focus coping strategy, emotion focus coping strategy and avoidance focus strategy.

“Unfortunately, our youth are taking avoidance, to avoid the consequences and the impact, so they end up abusing drugs to reduce tension, and become addicts in the long run.

“There must be interventions from parents, community, government through empowerment programmes and public enlightenment programmes,” he added.

Also speaking on the issues, Maryam Abdullahi, who is a marriage counsellor, notes that the structure of today’s family is faulty as most parents do not have that bonding time with children anymore.

“We have unfortunately found ourselves in a pathetic scenario, where all the parents care for now is money. They feel fulfilled that as long as they can provide the material needs of their children, all is well.

“Ironically, that is even more dangerous because at the end these children turn to friends and people outside the family for love and confidentiality.

“We have a situation where both parents are out all day working and the children are left to cater for themselves or left with nannies who introduce some of this stuff to the children.”

Hajiya Maryam notes that the family plays a major role in how children turn out to be in their adult life.

“Parents need to begin to be part of their children’s life. Most parents do not know what their children are engaged in on social media or who their friends are.

“The family plays a major role in curbing some of the ills in the society today, especially when it comes to drug abuse and it is likes,” she said.

DAILY TRUST

Related Topics:children killer murdered parents Prowl

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Kidnapped Female Police Officer Found Dead in Ebonyi as Suspect Leads Police to Remains

Published

57 seconds ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

Kidnapped Female Police Officer Found Dead in Ebonyi as Suspect Leads Police to Remains

A female police officer kidnapped in Ebonyi State has been found dead after police arrested a principal suspect in connection with her abduction and recovered her remains from a location allegedly identified by the suspect.

The development was disclosed by the Nigeria Police Force in its latest nationwide operational update, which highlighted arrests, rescue operations and the recovery of weapons and other exhibits across several states.

According to the police, the suspect was arrested following sustained intelligence-driven and technology-based investigations into the abduction of the female officer.

The suspect allegedly led police operatives to the location where the remains of the kidnapped police officer were recovered.

The Force did not, however, disclose the identity of the officer, the circumstances surrounding her abduction or the cause of her death.

It also did not state how long the officer had been missing before her remains were recovered or whether additional suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.

The development represents a major breakthrough in the investigation into the officer’s disappearance, but police said the case remains under investigation.

The suspect is being treated as an alleged member of a kidnapping syndicate pending the conclusion of investigations and any subsequent court proceedings.

Police said the investigation was supported by intelligence gathering and technology, which eventually led operatives to the principal suspect.

Following the arrest, the suspect allegedly provided information that enabled investigators to locate the scene where the officer’s remains were recovered.

The circumstances surrounding the officer’s death are yet to be publicly established. Police have not disclosed whether the remains showed evidence of violence or whether a forensic examination has been conducted to determine the cause of death.

Investigators are expected to examine the recovered remains and other evidence as they work to establish what happened to the officer and determine whether other individuals were involved in her abduction and death.

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The Ebonyi case was included in a wider Nigeria Police Force operational report covering security operations across the country. The Force said its operations resulted in the arrest of 334 suspects and the rescue of kidnapped victims, alongside the recovery of firearms, ammunition and other exhibits in different states.

In another operation reported in Adamawa State, police said two kidnapped victims were rescued from a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Shako Forest, Toungo Local Government Area, while a suspect was arrested and allegedly provided information implicating five fleeing accomplices. (Primetimes)

The police said the various cases remain under investigation by the relevant State Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) and the CID at Force Headquarters in Abuja.

For the Ebonyi investigation, the immediate focus is expected to be on determining the circumstances of the officer’s abduction, identifying all those allegedly involved and establishing how and when she died.

The recovery also gives investigators an opportunity to gather further physical and forensic evidence that could help link suspects to the crime.

The police have not announced any further arrests in the case or disclosed whether any weapons, vehicles, communication devices or other exhibits were recovered during the operation.

The Force has increasingly emphasised intelligence-led policing, technology-assisted investigations and inter-agency cooperation in its response to kidnapping and other organised crimes.

The latest development in Ebonyi underscores the continuing security challenges faced by police personnel and other residents in areas affected by kidnapping and violent criminal activity.

While the arrest represents progress in the investigation, the police have yet to provide a full account of the circumstances leading to the officer’s death.

Further details are expected as investigators continue questioning the suspect and examining evidence recovered from the scene.

Until the investigation and any court proceedings are concluded, the suspect remains presumed innocent and allegations against him have not been established by a court.

Kidnapped Female Police Officer Found Dead in Ebonyi as Suspect Leads Police to Remains

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How Nigerians Can Get Federal High Court Affidavit Online Without Visiting Court

Published

6 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

Federal High Court in Abuja

How Nigerians Can Get Federal High Court Affidavit Online Without Visiting Court

Nigerians can now apply for and obtain eligible Federal High Court affidavits online without necessarily visiting a court premises, through the court’s Electronic Court Management System (ECMS) e-Affidavit Portal.

The digital service allows applicants to create an account, complete an affidavit application, upload required documents, make payment and, after the application has been processed, download the completed electronic affidavit.

The Federal High Court of Nigeria introduced the e-Affidavit service as part of its efforts to make access to court services easier and reduce the need for physical visits for eligible affidavit applications.

The service covers several common affidavit needs, including change of name, correction of name, declaration of age, correction of date of birth, loss of documents, change of signature, next of kin, marriage-related declarations, banking matters and general-purpose affidavits.

However, applicants should note that the exact requirements and oath-taking procedure can vary depending on the type of affidavit and the relevant Federal High Court division.

How to Get a Federal High Court Affidavit Online

Applicants can follow these steps:

1. Create an account

Visit the official Federal High Court e-Affidavit portal and create an account.

Applicants will be required to provide basic personal information, including their name, telephone number, date of birth and email address, and create a password.

The email address and other details supplied should be accurate because they may be used for communication about the application.

2. Log in and complete your profile

After registration, log into the portal and complete the required applicant profile.

The system may request information including residential address, occupation, town, state and country of origin, gender, religion and date of birth.

Applicants should ensure that the information supplied is accurate and consistent with their identification documents.

3. Select the type of affidavit

Select the e-Affidavit option and choose the type of affidavit required.

Depending on the available categories, applicants may apply for documents relating to change of name, declaration of age, correction of date of birth, loss of documents, change of signature, next of kin, marriage, banking and other general declarations.

4. Select the Federal High Court division

Choose the appropriate Federal High Court division for the application.

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Applicants should take care when selecting the division because the relevant court location may affect how the application is processed and whether additional steps are required.

5. Complete the affidavit form

Fill in the electronic form with the information required for the particular affidavit.

For example, someone applying for an affidavit concerning correction of date of birth may be asked to provide the incorrect date, the correct date and the reason for the correction.

Applicants should ensure that names, dates and other details are correctly entered before moving to the next stage.

6. Upload the required documents

Upload the documents requested by the portal.

These may include a recent passport photograph, valid means of identification and signature, depending on the type of affidavit.

Acceptable identification may include documents such as a National Identification Number (NIN) document, international passport, driver’s licence or voter’s card, subject to the requirements displayed on the portal.

Applicants should ensure that uploaded files meet the portal’s size and format requirements.

7. Preview and check the application

Before submitting the application, use the preview function to carefully review all the information supplied.

Check the spelling of names, dates of birth, addresses, identification details, selected affidavit type and court division.

This stage is important because an error submitted on an affidavit application could affect the final document.

8. Accept the terms and submit

After reviewing the application, accept the relevant terms and conditions and provide the required consent for processing of personal information.

The application can then be submitted through the portal.

9. Pay the applicable fee

Proceed to payment after submitting the application.

The portal provides electronic payment options, including Paystack and Remita.

The applicable fee depends on the affidavit or service selected. Applicants should therefore rely on the amount displayed on the official portal at the time of application rather than unofficial fee figures circulating online.

The court’s portal states that payments are final, non-refundable and non-transferable.

10. Complete the oath-taking requirement

After payment, the application goes through the court’s processing and verification procedure.

Depending on the affidavit and the relevant court division, the applicant may be required to complete an oath-taking process.

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The Federal High Court’s information on the e-Affidavit system indicates that oath-taking arrangements can vary by division and may involve a virtual or physical process.

Applicants should therefore follow any specific instruction issued for their application rather than assume that every affidavit can be completed entirely online.

11. Monitor the application

Applicants should regularly check their account and registered email address for updates.

The court may query an application and request additional information or documents.

Where an application is queried, applicants are required to respond within the stipulated period. The portal indicates a 72-hour period for responding to queries.

Failure to respond or complete a required payment within the prescribed period may result in the application being deleted, requiring the applicant to start the process again.

12. Download the completed affidavit

Once the application has been approved and the affidavit completed, the applicant can download the electronic affidavit through the portal.

A copy is also sent to the applicant’s registered email address.

The electronically issued affidavit contains verification features, including a unique barcode and reference number, which can be used to confirm its authenticity.

Important Things Applicants Should Know

Applicants should carefully check their information before making payment because the court states that payments are not refundable or transferable.

They should also keep their application reference details and the electronic copy of the completed affidavit in a secure location.

An affidavit should not be altered after it has been issued. The court warns that falsifying, altering or misusing an affidavit is a criminal offence and may have legal consequences.

Applicants should also understand that an e-Affidavit does not automatically replace every affidavit required in a legal proceeding. Where an affidavit is being prepared for a specific court case or legal transaction, the applicant may need additional legal guidance.

Anyone uncertain about the appropriate affidavit, wording, supporting documents or court division should consider consulting a qualified legal practitioner before submitting the application.

The Federal High Court’s e-Affidavit platform is designed to make the process of obtaining eligible affidavits more convenient by allowing applicants to complete significant parts of the process electronically.

For applicants whose particular affidavit qualifies for the online service, the process can therefore be handled through the portal from registration and application to payment, processing and electronic retrieval, subject to any oath-taking or other requirement imposed by the relevant court division.

How Nigerians Can Get Federal High Court Affidavit Online Without Visiting Court

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Plateau Violence: Several Killed as Fresh Attacks Trigger Mass Exodus

Published

6 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang

Plateau Violence: Several Killed as Fresh Attacks Trigger Mass Exodus

Fresh violence in Plateau State has left several people dead in separate attacks across Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Riyom, with renewed gunfire forcing women and children to leave parts of Barkin Ladi for safer locations.

The latest wave of violence began with an attack on a vegetable market in Mangu Local Government Area, where gunmen opened fire on a vehicle leaving the market on Friday night.

The attack, which occurred at about 8 p.m. as traders and buyers were preparing to close for the day, triggered panic and a stampede as people fled in different directions.

Three people — two women and a young man — were reportedly killed, while several others sustained injuries. Those with serious injuries were taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for treatment.

However, another report put the death toll from the market attack at five, leaving some uncertainty over the final casualty figure.

The attack came amid heightened security concerns in Mangu, where several communities have experienced deadly attacks in recent weeks.

The situation worsened in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where residents of Dorowa Bubuje reported hearing sustained gunfire from the direction of Kantoma.

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The gunfire created panic and prompted the evacuation of women and children from vulnerable parts of the community.

Residents reportedly began moving away from areas considered exposed to possible attacks, while security personnel were deployed to the community.

The fresh tension followed another series of deadly attacks reported in Barkin Ladi and neighbouring Riyom between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Five passengers travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi were reportedly attacked on Saturday night. The victims were said to be travelling as labourers, with five bodies later recovered from the area.

Two other people, including a pastor, were reportedly killed while travelling to church at Dorowa Babuje on Sunday morning.

A woman was also reportedly killed at Baten Wereng in Riyom Local Government Area, while another person was killed at Ratyidi in Fan District.

Several cattle were also reportedly killed or stolen around Dorowa Maranba and the Kantoma axis, further increasing tensions in the affected communities.

The latest incidents came against the background of a series of attacks in Plateau in which both farmers and herders have suffered casualties.

Earlier in September, community leaders reported that three herders were killed and about 50 cattle were shot dead during an attack on a grazing area in Aloghom, Mangu LGA.

Another herder and 18 cattle were reportedly killed in a separate incident around Nyerwe in Barkin Ladi.

Security forces have continued operations in the affected areas.

The Nigerian Army previously reported the arrest of three suspects following the killing of 17-year-old Peter Gyang at Kafi-Abu village in Barkin Ladi.

The suspects were arrested during a military operation in an area believed to have been used by the attackers. Their alleged involvement, however, remained subject to investigation.

The Army’s General Officer Commanding, 3 Division, Maj. Gen. Williams Dangana, also visited communities affected by the violence and appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid retaliatory attacks.

Another separate attack was reported around Kassa in Barkin Ladi, where five Fulani men were reportedly killed after their vehicle came under attack while they were travelling towards a cattle market in Jos South.

The victims were identified as Buhari Yusuf, Aminu Ahmad, Nasiru Abdullahi, Gambo Abubakar and Muhammad Abdul Rahman.

A Fulani association alleged that the vehicle was ambushed by people it described as Berom militias and called for an investigation by the Federal Government, Plateau State Government and security agencies.

The association also appealed to members of the Fulani community to remain calm and avoid retaliation.

The allegation concerning the identity of the attackers in the Kassa incident has not been independently established by security authorities.

The separate attacks have highlighted the continuing cycle of communal violence in Plateau State, where longstanding tensions involving land, farming, grazing, communal disputes and reprisals have repeatedly resulted in deaths and displacement.

Community representatives have called for stronger and sustained security deployments, while security agencies have urged residents to provide credible information and avoid taking the law into their own hands.

With residents fleeing some affected areas, the immediate concern remains the protection of civilians and prevention of further attacks or retaliatory violence.

Authorities are expected to investigate the separate incidents, identify those responsible and strengthen security around communities considered vulnerable to further violence in Plateau State.