Teenager hacks mother to death, another kills self in Bayelsa

There was uproar in Agbura village, a suburb of Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State yesterday after a 19-year-old boy hacked his 52-year-old mother, Mrs. Airen Ofongo, to death with a machete. The incident, which happened in the early hours of Sunday, left residents of the area in shock when they discovered the mutilated body of the deceased.

However, attempts by the residents to apprehend the culprit identified as Samson, was not successful as he escaped into the forest through the back of their house.

When newsmen visited the scene of the incident, policemen had cordoned off the place and evacuated the body of the woman to the mortuary. Though details on the incident were sketchy, residents were however seen in numbers discussing the bizarre development.

One of the residents, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the boy was a cultist who denounced cultism a year ago but has been under pressure from his gang members to return to the group.

He said it was his attempt to rejoin the cult group that led to the argument, which resulted in the death of his mother. He said Samson and his mother had been having heated argument over the issue before yesterday’s gruesome murder.

In another development, a man reportedly took his life by hanging himself to a ceiling with a rope in his room at Aritelin, a suburb of the state capital, Yenagoa. His neighbours were said to have discovered his lifeless body dangling from the ceiling on Sunday morning.

Though the motive for taking his life could not be ascertained, policemen who were called to take his body refused to comment as the place was cordoned off.

Confirming the incident, spokesman of the Bayelsa State police command, Asimin Butswat, said he was yet to get full details from the Divisional Police Officers in charge of both divisions. He, however, said information available to him, said the young man had fled the scene before he could be apprehended but promised to get more details.