BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Benin City, Edo, Nigeria – It was like a scene in a vampire movie when a suspected mentally deranged man entered a shop and ripped off the throat of a 19-month-old baby girl in Benin City.
The ‘madman’ was instantly stoned to death by youths who were angered after being prevented from rescuing the little child.
Alltimepost.com learnt that the ‘lunatic’ stormed the shop, stark naked saying he had pulled off his dirty dress and that he needed blood of a virgin to wash them.
The baby girl, Omasirichi Ifaenyi, two of her siblings including her eldest 13 years old brother and her maternal aunt, Angelica Chukwudumu were inside the provisions shop when the suspected lunatic entered.
Sources said before passers-by could alert occupants of the shop, the ‘madman’ had locked himself in with the children using a padlock he met hanging on the iron protector at the entrance.
It was alleged that the aggressive ‘madman’ after strangling the baby, sucked her blood by ripping off her throat with his teeth. Consequently, angry youths stoned him to death while escaping from the scene.
Narrating her ordeal, the children’s maternal aunt, Angelica Chukwudumu, 34, said the incident happened about 5: 30p.m on Sunday, August 13, 2023.
“I was with my sister’s children inside the inner shop, four of us, I heard someone entered I thought the person was my sister, surprisingly, a naked man came in. I thought he has come to rape me, I ran towards the door as he tried to hold me, he threw an object that hit and injured my leg, I fell down. We all started screaming for help. People came but couldn’t help because he used the shop padlock to lock the iron protector.
“I didn’t know where to hold him because he was not wearing anything, he grabbed my little niece Omasirichi, he was strangling her. I struggled to reach the door; I did not know where the key was because I am not conversant with the shop. As we were all screaming, somebody outside gave me an object which I used to force the door opened before people entered and overpowered him.
“That time he had already killed my sister’s little girl. All happened within three minutes, it’s traumatic, I can’t explain further, I beg”, Angelica wept.
Mrs. Chioma Ifaenyi, 38, mother of the 19-month-old baby girl and three other children from Anambra State who lives about 120 meters away from the shop said she had taken the children from the shop to the house after a premonition she had a few hours before the incident.
But in what could easily pass as an irony of fate, the children went back to the store without letting their mother know.
Mrs. Chioma Ifaenyi explained to Alltimepost.com Correspondent that she was inside her house when someone ran to her with the sad news as she was unaware that her children had gone back to the shop.
“My husband is not around but he has been informed.
“I am appealing to government, individuals, families and relevant agencies to remove mad people from the streets to avoid reoccurrence of such ugly situation. I am in pains because my baby was not playing on the road or abandoned to deserve that painful death,” the grieving mother lamented.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor said both the corpses of the baby and that of the ‘madman’ were evacuated from the scene, 7, Oviasogie Street, Off Uwasota road, Benin City on that sad day.
He said the tragedy had occurred before police arrived at the scene.
Alltimepost.com investigation revealed that the baby’s remains have been buried by the family. Unconfirmed reports said the remains of the assailant have also been buried.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the suspected madman had been wandering in that neighborhood for over a week before he struck.
He was notorious for harassing women and children as residents of the area did nothing about his serial foiled attacks.
Said to be in his twenties, he was unknown to the area until lately, and likely to be a fresh victim of drugs abuse that would have been easily rehabilitated.
Some residents allege the suspect was not insane as he wanted to use the child for rituals under the cover of madness.
“I saw him about an hour before he attacked the shop, he was well dressed and coherent. At what point did he suddenly become mad? But he knew how to lock the door, mad people around enters shop to snatch bread, beg for food to eat, why his own different?
“He thought the children were alone in the shop. His plans failed. Thank God he used his head to carry the problem. Oga! I beg, don’t call him a madman in my presence again, I beg you”, a resident of the street told our correspondent.
