From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Police Command have confirmed the arrest of 24-year-old Godspower Ebisimiagh, popularly known as Bobby, over the gruesome murder of a six-year-old boy identified as Muhammadu Bilah.
The child, originally from Nasarawa State, was allegedly lured and killed last Tuesday in the Aritalin area of Ovom, Yenagoa Local Government Area.
Police investigations have revealed that the suspect is a member of the Greenlanders cult group, a notorious gang linked to violent crimes and ritual activities in the Niger Delta region.
Preliminary findings suggest that Bobby may have been contracted to procure a child for a suspected ritual killing involving charm fortification.
While confirming the incident, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Idu, said an autopsy has been ordered on the body of the deceased to determine the actual cause of death and to verify claims that the victim may have been poisoned.
In a chilling confession made while in police custody, the suspect admitted to being under the influence of hard drugs, specifically ice (a form of methamphetamine), when he committed the act.
“On that fateful day, I took ice. While eating with the boy, I suddenly stood up and smashed him on the floor,” Bobby recounted with visible injuries and his head wrapped in bloodstained bandages, sustained during a failed lynching attempt by an irate mob before his rescue by the police.
However, his statement was contradicted by a senior police officer who noted that the boy’s corpse bore no visible injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.
“If he indeed smashed the boy on the floor, why are there no signs of injury on the body?” the officer queried, raising further suspicion that the child might have been poisoned.
The suspect, however, denied allegations that he was paid N1 million to carry out the murder. “I was not paid to bring the boy for ritual,” he insisted.
The Commissioner of Police stated that the suspect’s media interaction was allowed to dispel public rumours of a cover-up or claims that the suspect had died in custody.
“We are determined to ensure full transparency and will leave no stone unturned in our investigations,” he said.
CP Idu further assured advocacy groups, including the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and various gender rights organisations, that the command is committed to pursuing justice and ensuring accountability in the case.
The tragic murder of young Muhammadu Bilah has sparked widespread outrage in the community, with calls for swift and thorough prosecution of all those involved, including any potential sponsors behind the killing.
As investigations continue, the police have pledged to uncover the full truth behind what appears to be a ritual-related homicide that has once again spotlighted the dangers of cultism and drug abuse in Bayelsa and the wider Niger Delta region.
