A woman has been detained by community members in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State after she allegedly threw her five-year-old child into a river. The incident surfaced in videos circulating on social media on Tuesday and has sparked widespread outrage across Nigeria.
According to details shared with the viral videos, the woman said she acted after consulting a self-acclaimed seer in Benin City. She claimed she had been unable to conceive another child since giving birth to the five-year-old, who has been unable to walk since birth. The seer allegedly told her the child was a python in human form and responsible for her inability to have more children.
“The seer told me that the child was a python and that if I did not get rid of the child, I would either continue giving birth to children with the same condition or never conceive again,” she said in the video. Acting on the advice, she was said to have thrown the child into a river.
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The development has triggered strong reactions from the public, with many condemning the act and questioning the influence of self-proclaimed spiritualists. Some social media users expressed anger at the woman’s action, while others blamed the seer for deception.
As of the time of filing this report, the Edo State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident. The Police Public Relations Officer said she was not aware of the occurrence and had not provided any reaction when contacted.
Authorities are yet to independently verify the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including the condition and whereabouts of the child. The case has renewed calls for public education on child rights and the dangers of superstition.
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