Mother Arrested for Throwing Disabled Child into River in Edo State

A woman has been arrested by community members in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. She allegedly threw her five-year-old child into a river after a self-proclaimed seer in Benin City told her to do so.

This incident came to light in videos shared on social media on Tuesday. The videos were posted by X user ChuksEricE and have sparked anger and discussions among Nigerians.

According to the information with the viral videos, the woman left the child after a seer claimed the five-year-old was a python in human form. In the video, the woman explained that she could not have another child after giving birth to the five-year-old. She said the child has not been able to walk since birth, which made her seek spiritual help.

She claimed she saw a self-acclaimed seer in Benin City who told her the child was the reason she could not conceive again. "The seer told me that the child was a python and that if I did not get rid of the child, I would either continue giving birth to children with the same condition or never conceive again," she said.

Following this advice, the woman reportedly threw the child into the river.

This shocking act has led to strong reactions from the public. Many people condemned what she did and raised concerns about the influence of self-proclaimed spiritualists.

Reacting to the incident, X user #oma22k wrote, "Someone told you to throw your own child and you accepted. I have said this before, some people don’t deserve to be mothers."

Another user, #getKennethed22, sympathized with the woman but blamed the alleged seer. "I pity the lady though, she’s tired of the child and at the same time needs another. I blame the seer for deceiving her, but what if the seer is true?"

Also commenting, #erickson_egbon said, "This is unbelievable….a mother who is supposed to be full of affection and love for a child is the one throwing him/her into a river. Who has bewitched her or what could have turned her to cold stone like this?"

As of now, the Edo State Police Command has not released an official statement on the event. The Police Public Relations Officer said she was not aware of the incident and had no comment when asked about it.

Authorities still need to verify the full details of the incident, including the condition and location of the child.