Ebonyi Court remands man for killing his three-year-old brother

An Abakaliki Magistrate’s Court has remanded one Ogobuchi Ogonna Amagu, 25, for drowning his stepbrother, Wisdom Ogbonna Amagu to death.

The one-count charge reads: “That you Ogobuchi Ogonna Amagu on September 9, 2016 at Ndiebor Nchoko, Igbeagu Izzi in the Abakaliki Magisterial District did unlawfully cause the death of one Wisdom Ogonna Amagu and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33: Vol. 1. Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.”

The presiding Magistrate, Nnachi Olughu, ruled that the suspect be remanded in prison custody till November 18 and the case file transferred to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for comments.

It was reported that Ogobuchi had tied Wisdom to a big stone and thrown him into a stream in the area. The incident had occurred on Sunday while the body of the deceased was found floating in the stream the next day.

Sources had informed The Guardian that Wisdom got missing on Sunday afternoon, forcing the parents and villagers to raise an alarm and organize a search party for the three-year-old.

It was learnt that following the development with the search operation, the suspect on Sunday evening confessed to the family that he was responsible for the missing Wisdom.

Wisdom’s father, Amagu Ogbonna, later alerted the people of the area. “Ogobuchi told us that he is the one that killed Wisdom. He asked us to follow him to where he kept the body. We followed him to the stream where he threw the boy into. We asked him why he killed his brother and he said a spirit directed him to do that. We have reported the matter to the police and he has been arrested,’’ he said.

He noted that the suspect was hale and hearty and had no history of mental problem, which has put the family at a loss as to why he committed the crime.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP George Okafor, confirmed the incident.