The Bayelsa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of Godspower Ebisimiagh, also known as Bobby, a suspected cultist accused of brutally murdering a six-year-old Muslim boy, Muhammadu Bilah, in what is believed to be a ritual killing. The shocking incident occurred in the Aritalin area of Ovom, Yenagoa Local Government Area, last Tuesday.
Ebisimiagh, a 24-year-old alleged member of the Greenlanders cult gang, reportedly lured the innocent boy before murdering him and hiding the body in a sack. While he remains in police custody with a blood-stained bandage around his head from injuries sustained during a failed mob lynching, Bobby admitted to killing the child but denied being paid N1 million to carry out a ritual killing.
In a chilling confession to our correspondent at the Bayelsa State Police headquarters, Bobby claimed he was under the influence of drugs when he committed the act. “I took ice (cocaine) that day. I was eating with the boy, then I suddenly got up and smashed him on the floor,” he said.
However, senior police officials cast doubt on his version of events. One officer questioned why there were no visible injuries on the victim’s body if he was indeed smashed to the floor, suggesting instead that the boy may have been poisoned. “If he slammed the child on the floor as he claims, where are the marks? There were none,” the officer remarked.
This discrepancy has triggered a wider investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, including allegations that the suspect was hired by a cult group to procure a child for ritual purposes. Police sources revealed that a discreet inquiry is underway to verify claims of a N1 million payment made in exchange for the boy’s corpse.
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Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, allowed limited media access to the suspect in an effort to dispel rumors of a police cover-up or custodial death. He confirmed that an autopsy is being carried out to determine whether the boy was poisoned and to establish the actual cause of death. “We are leaving no stone unturned. If food was laced with poison, the autopsy will reveal it,” Idu stated.
Commissioner Idu also assured the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and other gender advocacy organizations that the command will pursue justice with utmost transparency and diligence. He emphasized that the murder of Muhammadu Bilah, a child from Nasarawa State, will not be swept under the rug and that anyone found to be complicit will be brought to justice.
The gruesome nature of the crime has sparked public outrage, with many demanding swift prosecution of the suspect and a deeper probe into ritual killings in the region. The case continues to unfold, but the state remains on edge as residents await the outcome of the police investigation and autopsy report.
