Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A 35-year-old woman has been arrested by the Edo State Police Command after she was allegedly caught throwing her five-year-old child into the River Ovia in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state. The Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the arrest on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, stating that both the woman and the seer who advised her were in custody and that investigations were ongoing.
The incident first came to public attention on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, after videos circulated on social media, sparking widespread outrage. According to accounts accompanying the viral clips, the woman, identified as Osasere, threw her son into the river after a self-acclaimed seer told her the child was a python demon responsible for her inability to conceive another child. In a video widely shared on social media, the suspect claimed that her five-year-old son had never walked, and that she had suffered several miscarriages after his birth. She said a friend took her to a spiritualist in Benin City, who allegedly told her that her son was a python spirit blocking her womb, and that throwing him into River Ovia would break the curse and allow her to become pregnant again.
Fishermen who witnessed the act from their fishing boat immediately intervened, pursuing the woman and dragging her into a canoe in an attempt to search for the child. Reports indicate that the fishermen also prevented an angry mob from lynching her at the scene. As of the time of this report, efforts to recover the child’s body from the river have been unsuccessful.
In a related development, the Edo State Police Command also announced the arrest of a couple from Benue State, Charity Jacob and Monday John, who allegedly attempted to sell a two-year-old girl for N3 million. Police operatives attached to the Irrua Division intercepted the suspects near MOPO Junction, Irrua, while they were in possession of the child, who had reportedly been stolen from her mother. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects conspired with others to unlawfully sell the child.
The Command has confirmed that both the seer and the arrested suspects are in custody, and that operatives are actively investigating the matter.
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