Tragic Accident: Father Arrested Following Death of Seven-Year-Old in Soakaway Incident

The case has been instructed to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for a thorough examination.

 

On December 13, police detained 40-year-old Alfred Bassey from Cross River State after his seven-year-old child tragically died at a construction site in Onitsha.

According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson, initial investigations indicated that Bassey forcibly took the child from the mother and was living with him in an unfinished building at the time of the incident.

On December 11, 2024, the child’s body was discovered in a soakaway pit at the unfinished site after Bassey left the child unattended.

The lifeless child was later taken to a hospital where he was declared dead by medical staff.

Ikenga shared that the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, expressed sorrow over the incident and urged parents to prioritize their children’s welfare, regardless of any personal issues with their partners, to prevent exposing them to emotional distress or danger.

Additionally, he emphasized the urgency of transferring the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for further inquiry.