By SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN CITY- TRAGEDY struck, Sunday, at
Ibillo, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of
Edo State, when a man popularly known as
Alhaji, murdered three persons including a
three year old boy, after a quarrel over the
ownership of a bitter leaf plant in the
compound.
The sad incident occurred at Ogo quarters
Ibillo Sunday evening. The three killed
includes a man identified as Mr Aliu Ademo,
a girl called Favour and a little boy Isaac,
who later died yesterday morning at the
hospital.
Vanguard learnt that trouble started when
the Alhaji had a heated quarrel with the
daughter of a Co-tenant called Favour over
the bitter leaf plant in the compound. It was
said that Alhaji went to harvest the
vegetable without the consent of the owner
which angered the daughter of the woman,
Favour.
According to an eyewitness, “Alhaji who is
from Igbira came out with a cutlass and
beheaded the girl. Mr Aliu saw what
happened and started shouting, Alhaji ran
after Isaac the little boy to kill him but Aliu
pursued him in order to save the boy. But he
succeeded in killing both the small boy and
Mr Aliu.
“He decided to kill the man because the man
came to save the little boy. The small boy
was rushed to the hospital because he was
still unconscious but we later heard he died
this morning (Monday). Alhaji is on the run
now but the police is looking for him”.
Reacting to the murder, the Police Public
Relations Officer in the state, Mr Stephen
Onwechei, said “ the suspect is currently on
the run but we are on his trail. He will be
arrested. He abandoned his cutlass and took
off after the killings. When people came
around to stop him he killed them including
a three year old child.
“That is barbaric. I understand he previously
had quarrel with the mother of the child over
the ownership of the bitter leaf in the
compound. That is madness but we must
arrest him no matter how far he tries to run.
He must face justice for his wicked act” he
declared.
