Man beats son to death

Tunde Shitta, an auto mechanic, has reportedly beat his 11-year-old son, Toib Shitta, to death.

Journalists who visited Tunde’s home at 33, Adeniyi Street, Itire, Lagos; learnt from neighbours that he had on many occassions flogged Toib, leaving him with scars. A resident, who spoke to Punch on the condition of anonymity, said Tunde visited his anger on the 11-year-old boy after his new wife reported that he (Toib) disobeyed her.
The neighbour said, “On that day, his stepmother sent him on an errand but he refused because he was sleepy. When the father returned, she reported Toib’s disobedience to him and he flogged him.

“His father hit his head with a stool and then he began to bleed until he died.”

PUNCH METRO gathered that after the incident, Tunde did not report to the police but went to bury Toib according to Islamic rites in his grandfather’s compound.

It was gathered that police were unaware of the incident until Toib’s biological mother who had divorced his father, went to Itire Police Division to report.

When our correspondent visited the division, a police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the case was under investigation.

He said, “We only got wind of the situation on Wednesday night when a woman came to report that her ex-husband had beat her son to death.

“The suspect however claimed that it was while he was beating his son that the latter fell and hit his head against a stool. Tunde said when his son started bleeding, he was rushed to a hospital but died on the way.

“So, the police are investigating in order to ascertain if the father actually hit him with a stool like the neighbours claimed or he fell and hit his head. The stool has even been recovered.”

Another neighbour, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described Tunde as a man, who was fond of beating up his wife and children.

He said, “Before Tunde divorced Toib’s mother, he used to beat her. On one occasion, he stabbed her in the head. That was when she decided to divorce him, leaving him with her four children.

“Toib was only 11 years old and was in primary six at Itire Primary School then. It is unfortunate that he was killed by his father.”

Another member of the community, who also craved anonymity, said Tunde should be charged for also trying to cover up the crime.

“After killing his son, Tunde instructed his three other children to clean up the crime scene. I can only imagine the sort of trauma they are going through. He then went ahead to bury Toib without filing a police report,” he said.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said the police were investigations the incident.

“The Lagos State Police Command is poised to reduce crime to its barest minimum in the state and we will make sure no criminal goes unpunished,” he said.

Called from Punch