A 29-year-old father (name withheld) has been arrested on Thursday, April 14, for slamming his one-month-old toddler daughter to the floor and killing her in Lagos state.
The suspect, according to the state police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, committed the murder after a fight with his wife the day before.
He noted the suspect was drunk and attempted to set himself on fire on the day of the incident.
Hundeyin said preliminary inquiry found that the suspect after killing the child threw the body onto an unfinished property near their home shortly after she died.
Mr Hundeyin stated that the suspect would be charged to court following the conclusion of the police investigation.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the procession, the suspect stated that his actions were not deliberate.
“Immediately I saw what I did, I dashed out of my apartment and headed straight to where I kept my gallon of petrol with the purpose of setting myself ablaze. What happened was not intentional. I am not a ritualist.
“I didn’t smash her head on the floor as claimed by the police. When the incident occurred, I wasn’t myself anymore, I wanted to set myself ablaze so as to die alongside the baby.
“I was not happy seeing the corpse of my daughter on the floor. What was coming to my mind was to kill myself. I didn’t have any disagreement with my wife on the fateful day.
“It is true that the death of my daughter was from me, my wife was not at fault. It was true I killed my baby; it was an accident, but I’m not happy. Am I a foolish person to kill my daughter? It was not intentional,” he said.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News