The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said on Tuesday that it had arrested one Idorenyin Essien, 35, for setting his son ablaze in the Eket Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Friday, August 30, 2019, in Afia Nsit.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, who confirmed this in an interview with journalists in Eket, said the man was arrested at his residence in the community.
Macdon said the command would not hesitate to charge the suspect.
Narrating the incident to our correspondent, a community leader in Afia Nsit, Mr Effiong Okon, said Essien’s son stole N500 from a neighbour to buy food and when his father returned, the neighbour reported the matter to him.
He added that Essien refunded the money to the neighbour and scolded his son and later sent him to buy kerosene, which he used in setting him ablaze.
Okon stated, “The boy stole N500 from one of the neighbours to buy food and when his father discovered, he quickly paid the money and later sent the boy to buy kerosene.
“The son innocently ran to buy the kerosene that the father used to burn him. Essien tied the boy with a rope and poured the kerosene on him, set him ablaze and watched him burn.”
According to him, the boy was rushed to hospital, but he died in the process and the community alerted the police, who arrested Essien.
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