The Police in Lagos on Thursday said that they had arrested a 29-year-old man (name withheld) for allegedly smashing the head of his one-month-old daughter on the floor resulting in her death.
Police spokesman in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest on Thursday while parading the suspect alongside others at the State Command Headquarters, Ikeja.
Mr Hundeyin said that the suspect allegedly committed the crime on April 6, after he had a quarrel with his wife a day before the incident.
He said that the suspect was alleged to be drunk on the day he committed the crime and tried to set himself ablaze.
It was alleged that he had to stop after his wife raised an alarm which attracted neighbours in their compound, who thereafter apprehended him.
The spokesman said that preliminary investigation had revealed that the suspect immediately after the baby died, threw the corpse into an uncompleted property close to their house.
Mr Hundeyin said that the suspect would be charged to court after completion of investigation by the police.
The suspect speaking to journalists on the sideline of the parade claimed that his action was not intentional.
He claimed that he was in the bathroom when he heard a knock on his door and he rushed out to pick his baby. He said that unfortunately, the baby slipped from his hand and hit her head on the floor and died on the spot.
“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.
The suspect added that it was when he was trying to rescue the baby that the baby fell from his hands, and during the process, he sustained injuries which he showed to journalists.
On the allegation that he threw the baby’s corpse into an uncompleted building, he claimed that he did it as a result of fear that some residents might want to lynch him.
“It was after I threw the corpse of my baby to the next compound that I went inside with the intention of setting myself ablaze.
“I regretted my action, I beg God to forgive me of my sin and bless the soul of my daughter,” he said.
(NAN)