For feeding her 11-month-old child with poison that led to its death, a mother, Sughshater Ushahemba, resident of the Mbadyur council ward in Benue State’s Logo Local Government Area, has been taken into police custody.
Community members reported that early on Saturday morning, the woman allegedly fed the infant something that looked like chemical.
According to a different account, the mother claimed that the infant passed away early on Saturday morning after a high temperature. It was said that the woman attempted to bury the child but was apprehended.
However, in an interview with journalists, Logo LGA’s information officer, Paul Pevikyaa,
said the woman had earlier informed people that the infant had become ill at 12:31 am and had passed away two hours later.
Pevikyaa said, “When the woman was interviewed, she said when they were asleep, around 12.31am, the baby started having high fever and that the body was so hot that she gave up within two hours.
“She said that the mistake she made was at day break, she failed to inform her neighbours of what happened in the night because there is a strong belief that when you have neighbours and when you are having difficulties at night, at least you can call your neighbours to help you and they can be your witness. But she never did that.”
Pevikyaa said the woman eventually admitted to killing her child because the man who impregnated her had abandoned her. So she tried burying the baby when the day broke.” He added that the infant was 11 months old.
Pevikyaa said the woman claimed that her boyfriend had gotten her pregnant, and that after she gave birth to a daughter, the boy left her alone with the child.
“She said she had been suffering with the child, and that was why she poisoned the baby by giving it a chemical that is used to spray grasses,” Pevikyaa said.
The suspect is presently being held, according to Catherine Anene, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Benue State Command, SP, who confirmed the development.
