Ogun: Father allegedly locks up teenage children, starves them to death

A father of three, who was simply identified as Ogunfadeke has starved two of his children to death in Ogun State.

Ogunfadeke was arrested by operatives of the Ogun State Amotekun Corps in Ibiade, Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the State.

His arrest, Track news learnt, followed a complaint lodged by the suspect’s estranged wife, Busola Otusegun, who alleged that the man killed two of their children.

The Ogun State Amotekun Commander, David Akinremi, had said the complainant narrated that her former husband insisted on having custody of the three children when their marriage broke up, a few years ago.

She said they had agreed that the children, aged 18, 17 and 16, would live with their father, the suspect.

The Amotekun boss quoted the woman as stating that she had relocated to Warri, Delta State to marry another man but was in constant touch with the suspect concerning the welfare of the three children and was always told all was well with them.

The woman had explained that she did not have direct access to any of her three children.

Akinremi said on March 30, 2023, one of the three children reportedly came across his aunt in Ibiade, where he lives with his father and recounted their experience with the man; which he said led to the death of his two elder siblings – Yusuf Ogunfadeke (‘M’ 18 years) and Dasola Ogunfadeke (‘F’ 17 years).

It was learnt that the two teenagers died between April and June, 2022 in Ijebu-Ode, where they were residing with their father at the time.

The boy had disclosed that “their father chained and locked them in a solitary confinement, without food and water for over three months, which led to the death of the two siblings but he miraculously survived the ordeal.”

The man, according to the Amotekun Commander, admitted during interrogation that he confined the children for months, but he denied not feeding them and being responsible for their death.

The suspect had stated that he locked the children due to their “involvement in stealing, hence the need to ensure they were prevented from such criminal action.”

He further claimed that the two deceased children were taken to the hospital for treatment at different times when they fell ill but they died in the process.

“What is, however, curious about his defence is that the hospital where he claimed the two children died in Ijebu Ode could neither be located nor where he allegedly buried them behind a rented apartment he lived in Ijebu-Ode before relocating to his present abode in Ibiade with the third child for possible exhumation be traced.

“The fact that he refused to make the incidents known to any member of the family also gives course for concern, more so when the suspect is a herbalist, thus further fueling the suspicion of having killed the deceased for possible rituals,” Akinremi submitted.

He added that the case would be transferred to the State CIID for further investigation with a view to establishing further facts that will facilitate his prosecution