Witchcraft: Police inspector arrested for assaulting his children in Bayelsa

A police inspector, identified as Sunday Idey, has been arrested by operatives of Operation Doo Akpor in Bayelsa State for allegedly assaulting his three children over accusations of witchcraft.

Idey, who serves with the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Igbogene Police Division, was said to have attacked his children at the weekend after accusing them of belonging to a witchcraft group.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Francis Idu, said the officer has been taken into custody while an investigation is underway.

The incident, which occurred in Yenagoa, the state capital, has sparked outrage among residents, who condemned the officer’s alleged brutality against his own children.

According to eyewitnesses, neighbours who heard the children’s cries alerted operatives of Operation Doo Akpor.

The police team promptly intervened, rescuing the children and taking them to a hospital for treatment.

The case has also drawn strong condemnation from gender rights advocates, including the Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Bayelsa Chapter, Dr. Boma Toney Miebai; the National Association of Women Against Gender-Based Violence led by Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy-Harry; and the Chairperson of the Do Foundation, Barr. Dianna Iluma Pius.

Officials from the Bayelsa State Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender Development, led by the Permanent Secretary, have also visited the police station and the hospital to gather firsthand information on the incident.

The ministry urged individuals and organisations to support the children’s recovery and help them rebuild their lives after the traumatic experience.