A 15-year-old nanny, Chiamaka Odo, arrested for allegedly killing a six-month-old baby has said a witchcraft coven asked her to bring blood.
The teenager was alleged to have strangled the baby, Jayden Osokolo, on February 5, barely a month after she resumed working as the infant’s nanny in Lagos.
Narrating how the baby died to reporters on Monday, Odo said she was asked in their meeting to call the baby’s name four times after which the baby bath they gave her became blood-filled.
According to her, she usually joined the meeting from her sleep, explaining that she usually saw herself at the Ogoloma meeting venue in Agulu, Anambra State.
Odo said she was initiated into the coven by her friend in primary school and she has not been able to leave since then.
“When I was in primary school, one of my friends called Ameri gave me biscuit and sweets during lunch break. After eating the biscuit, in the night, I found myself at a place where they welcomed me.
“When I was coming to Lagos, they said I should bring blood but I said no. We did meeting and I told them to send me to do another thing and they asked what I want. I told them I don’t want to shed any blood but I can do any other thing.
“They asked me what I was going to do in Lagos and I told them nanny work. So, on the night of March 5 (sic), they asked me to bring the baby I was looking after, I said I won’t bring the baby and they said they will strangle me if I don’t bring the baby.
“I refused to bring the baby and I begged them but they didn’t agree. So, they gave me a baby bath and said I should call the baby four times, I called the baby’s name four times and blood filled the bath.
“That is what happened. They come in my dream when I am sleeping. I find myself in Ogoloma in Agulu, Anambra State. I am the last in the group. I do not do anything and I don’t eat anything.
“I came to the house on January 7. It was my uncle that brought me and they said they will pay N15, 000 but they didn’t pay. I wanted to leave the cult but I do not know how to. If I want to go to church on Sunday, I won’t be able to walk again. They will make me tired until church dismisses,” said Odo.
Parading the suspect, police spokesman, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu said the infant was strangled, adding that marks of strangulation were seen on the baby’s body.
Also, a 26-year-old woman, Oluwatoyin Joshua, was arrested by detectives for allegedly killing her ex-lover over N1,000.
Oluwatoyin, the police said, stabbed the deceased, Olayinka Adebayo, 27, to death with a kitchen knife over a disagreement on her share of N3,000 cash gifted them by a Good Samaritan.
The incident was said to have occurred on February 26, Ogunnaike Street, Shangisha,
Confessing to the crime, Oluwatoyin said she stabbed the deceased in self defence, adding that she never intended to kill him.
She said their mutual friend gave them N3, 000 with the instruction that she should take N1, 000 and give Adebayo N2,000.
“But when I came and told him, he refused. He said the entire N3, 000 was for him. I told him to confirm from the giver but he didn’t and started boxing me. He was fighting me and even used broken tiles to injure me on the head.
“We were at his place and so, I went into the kitchen and got a kitchen knife to use it to scare him. But when he didn’t stop attacking me, I stabbed him with the knife. I was the one who rushed him to the hospital and I spent N15,000.
“His friends who sell drugs- loud and skunk- with him also added money. He was stitched at hospital and they asked us to get blood. It was in the process of the blood that he died. I didn’t mean to kill him, if I wanted to, I won’t rush him to the hospital,” she said.
Ajisebutu said the case file had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.