A man identified as Olamide has accidentally k!lled his one-year-old son while attempting to strike his wife with an iron rod in the Elega area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday night during an altercation.
Punch reported that the suspect fled the area after the incident before residents who heard the loud noises coming from the couple’s apartment got there.
One of the co-tenants, Mrs. Bolatito, recounted how the child’s mother cried out for help, saying her husband had killed their son, Ayinde.
When Bolatito arrived at the scene, she was informed that a fight had broken out between the couple.
She explained that Olamide had picked up an iron rod—part of a weightlifting set he regularly used—and attempted to hit his wife. Instead, the rod struck their child in the head.
“At about midnight, I heard the woman calling me for help, saying Olamide had killed Ayinde,” she said. “We rushed the baby to Trinity Hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival. Later, we noticed the child still showed signs of life, so we rushed him back, only to be told he had died again.”
She added that the husband had a history of domestic violence, and the wife had previously lost a pregnancy due to physical abuse.
The community chairman, Ramoni Adegbola, also confirmed the incident. He said he was alerted by neighbors and found the child in distress when he arrived. The child was rushed to the hospital, but sadly, he didn’t survive.
Adegbola alleged that Olamide had a history of drug abuse and was known for frequently engaging in fights with his wife.
“I heard people shouting for help, so I ran over,” Adegbola said. “They told me the child had been hit on the head. We took him to the hospital, but he didn’t make it. The man often takes drugs, and there was even a time he collapsed from drug use, and neighbours had to help revive him.”
He noted that the suspect had fled the scene after the incident, but later turned himself in at a police station.
When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, CSP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident and said an investigation was underway.
“Yes, it happened. The police are currently investigating,” Odutola stated briefly.
