Islamic Cleric Allegedly Stone 3-Year-Old Boy to Death

A Muslim Cleric has been reported, to have stoned to death, a three years old boy in Ejigbo, Lagos state. The man, popularly called Alfa, was said to have committed this act, in the presence of a teenager, whom he gave N500 for his silence. The body of the deceased boy, was later found in White Sand area of the community.
The accused person, Alfa Kazeem, orchestrated the plan, using a 15-year-old boy named Simon Kanu, to lure the three-year-old to an uncompleted building, after the latter had collected N500 from the cleric. The deceased boy, Chigozie Okereke was stoned to death by Kazeem in Simon’s presence.
Simon, who was the last person seen with the victim, denied seeing or been with boy, when he was accosted and asked by the mother of the dead boy, about her son. The Nigeria Police was called in and Simon, asked to say what he knew about the whereabouts of Chigozie. It was at this point, that Simon confess to have seen him with Alfa Kazeem, in an uncompleted building within the community.
In his revelation, Simon said he went to the site, to play and saw the murder taking place. “I went to site and I saw how he (Alfa), killed Chigozie. He tied him up and was making incantation before hitting him with a stone three times. He brought out a juju knife and said he would kill me if I dare tell anybody about it,” Simon said.
Simon led the Police to the Alfa, who was arrested and his house thoroughly searched for evident of his crime. The entire community was searched before by both the Police and residents of the community. The body of Chigozie was found, dead in an uncompleted building, with red pieces of cloth around his wrists and ankles.
Alfa was said to have tied Chigozie’s hand and leg with red clothes and while muttering incantations and then, stoned the deceased three times, which lead to his death. During interrogation by the Police, Kazeem denied being a ritualist but admitted to being a member of a cult group.
He claimed innocence of the charge against him. “I was in my house sleeping when I heard people shouting. When I came out, I saw some policemen and when I asked, I was told that they saw a dead child. I went back inside, but 30 minutes later, the police came back and arrested me. I don’t know the boy and I have never spoken to him.” He said.
He continued professing his innocence, until Simon interrupted him, accusing him of lying. “You are lying.! He was giving me sign with his eyes not to talk. I saw you when you were using the heavy stone to hit him until he died.” Simon said.
The mother of the dead boy, Mrs. Chinasa Okereke said, she had earlier bathed the boy and was about to bath the younger one, when she started looking for Chigozie. “When I finished bathing the younger one, I went inside to get the wrapper to wrap him in.
Mrs. Okereke said, his elder sister, her first child, told her, Chigozie is either outside playing or in a neighbour’s house. “But on getting outside, I didn’t see my baby again. The sister said he went into my neighbour’s house but I didn’t see him there and when I asked, they said he went out with Simon” she said.
With melancholy, she recounted, how she searched everywhere for her boy, afraid, he may have wondered off somewhere and got lost. “I called my son’s name but there was no response. Later, we saw Simon that night, I asked him about the whereabouts of my son he said he did not see him.
Tearfully she, disclosed how she later got to know what happed to her son. “I saw my son’s lifeless body, stoned to death. He is my third child. I feel very hurt. My heart is broken. I need justice.” She wailed.
The Nigeria Police, Ejigbo have arrested all those implicated in the case, including Simon, the case is under investigation and closely monitored by the Isheri Osun Police Division.