How, why we killed four out of our five babies — Father, Mother

A 43-year-old suspect, simply identified as Sanjo, and his wife, whose name was not given, have been arrested by the Osun State Government for killing four out of their five children, with the last one, a two-month-old, beaten to death by the father.

The Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs in the state, Olubukola Olaboopo, said this in a statement on Sunday.

The statement was issued by the Ministry’s Information Officer, Bolarinwa Adereti, who said Sanjo had been killing the children birthed by his wife.

The suspect, who lives at Alekunwodo area of the state capital, Osogbo, said he beat the last baby to death unintentionally.

Sanjo was quoted by the statement as saying: “I got married to my wife in 2008 and God blessed us with five children.

“It was the third child that I beat, unintentionally, to death.

“My wife left the child with me while she was going out and the baby started crying.

“I did all I could to placate her but she kept crying.

“Something just came upon me and I beat the two months old baby to death.

“I and my wife buried the child on our farm land.”

After the arrest of the couple, the wife also confessed that they had earlier decided to kill two of their babies due to poverty.

She said: “I gave birth to five babies out of which four are dead and the fifth being the newly born.

“We decided to kill two of the babies due to poverty, while we dumped the third one around Technical area in Osogbo.

“I have been suffering a lot, my husband subject me to hard labour on his farm.

“He is fond of beating me and he ties me down whenever he wants to have sex with me.

“He even coerces me to find him sex partners on several occasions.

“I have also had many abortion for him, including attempt to abort the fifth child.”

The Commissioner said the suspect was arrested upon tip off from a neighbour in the community, adding that government would not allow such dastard abuse of children and women from anyone.

Olaboopo said Sanjo would be made to face full consequences of his action, warning others to desist from the wanton abuse of children and women in the state.