Richard Elesho
A bizzare scene on Tuesday evening took the shine off the thus far rancorous Kogi governorship election. Residents of Akpansede, an outskirt community of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital were treated to a horrid spectacle when like a tip of the iceberg, they found a lone human head, with the lower parts of the body, from the neck down, buried in a lonely farm road.
The curious wayfarers moved closer to the scene, where they found the victim was alive but clearly weak from exhaustion. Promptly, they sourced for a hoe and other tools with which they dug the ground and rescued the boy, who turned out to be 11-year-old Friday Oshodi, alive.
With a swollen head, bruised body and hands tied to the back, Friday managed to tell his story. He was buried by his brother, Goodness Oshodi, for stealing his stepmother’s money.
An enraged Mrs Oshodi after condemning the malfeasance ordered for the punishment of the erring child. In a short video trending on social media, those who rescued the boy said he stole N1,000. However, Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, William Aya, while confirming the arrest of the suspects, said Friday’s stepmother accused him of being a habitual thief.
It was alleged that the boy recently escaped from home for more than a month after he committed an offence
A source in the community who participated in the rescue effort, Mrs Monisola took the victim to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for treatment this Wednesday morning.
Although Aya assured of detailed investigation into the case, it has set many tongues wagging in Lokoja and environs. “How can somebody bury his own brother alive? I think the end of the world has come.” An elderly person in the community commented.