Man shoots son dead in failed ‘bullet proof’ charm test

By PETER DURU

In a bid to test the potency of his newly acquired bullet proof ‘juju’, a man, Ornguga Adega, of Agbatse village in Kwande local government area of Benue State, shot his only son dead  while conducting a gunshot test on the boy.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the suspect, who was  immediately apprehended by men of the Benue State Police Command, is currently facing trial at a Makurdi Chief Magistrate Court.

According to the First Information Report, FIR, by the police, the suspect and father of the ten- year- old had, in August 2012, bought some charm from a native doctor with the belief that it was potent enough to prevent the penetration of bullets into his body.

He was said to have rubbed his ‘bullet proof’ cream on the body of his son in order to verify  its efficacy and potency in line with the instructions of the native doctor from whom he bought the charm.

According to the FIR,  Adega fired a shot with his single barrel gun on the right leg of his son following which the bullet shattered the leg and also penetrated through to the left leg.

The boy was said to have bled profusely but before his shocked and devastated father could get proper medical attention for him, the little boy bled to death.

When the case came up at the Makurdi Chief Magistrate Court, police prosecutor, Inspector Gabriel Egbonyi, said the accused was arrested at the process of investigating the cause of death of the young boy.

Egbonyi further told the court that the accused confessed to committing the crime and also acknowledged responsibility for the unfortunate incident which prompted further police  investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile no plea was taken for want of jurisdiction. However the prosecution said investigation was still in progress in the matter and asked for another date for hearing.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Dan Ogoh, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to 12 September.