By: Manoah Kikekon
A wave of outrage has swept across Nigeria following the apprehension of a woman in the Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. The mother was detained by local community members after she allegedly threw her five-year-old disabled child into a river—a drastic action reportedly fueled by the instructions of a self-acclaimed spiritual seer based in Benin City.
The disturbing incident came to light on Tuesday after videos surfaced and rapidly circulated on social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter). The footage, initially shared by a digital creator, has triggered intense public debate regarding the dangerous influence of unregulated spiritualists and the vulnerabilities of desperate parents.
According to the details accompanying the viral video, the woman resorted to the horrific act after being convinced by a local prophet that her child was spiritually compromised. Speaking to community members who cornered her, the mother defended her actions by explaining her prolonged struggle with secondary infertility. She revealed that she had been unable to conceive another child since giving birth to the five-year-old, who had been unable to walk since birth.
Desperate for a solution, she sought spiritual intervention from a seer in Benin City, who allegedly blamed the disabled child for her plight.
“The seer told me that the child was a python and that if I did not get rid of the child, I would either continue giving birth to children with the same condition or never conceive again,” she confessed in the video.
Driven by the chilling prophecy, the woman reportedly took the vulnerable child to a nearby river and threw him into the water.
The viral footage has sparked a massive outcry online, with thousands of Nigerians condemning both the mother's actions and the deceptive nature of false prophets. While many expressed outright fury, others lamented the deep-seated superstitions that still plague many communities.
Reacting to the heartbreaking development on social media, an X user wrote:
“Someone told you to throw your own child and you accepted. I have said this before, some people don’t deserve to be mothers.”
Another commentator expressed a mix of sympathy and blame, pointing fingers at the spiritualist:
“I pity the lady though, she’s tired of the child and at the same time needs another, I blame the seer for deceiving her, but what if the seer is true?”
Expressing utter disbelief at the breakdown of maternal instinct, a third netizen added:
“This is unbelievable….a mother who is supposed to be full of affection and love for a child is the one throwing him/her into a river. Who has bewitched her or what could have turned her to cold stone like this?”
As public pressure mounts for justice, official state authorities are working to verify the exact details of the harrowing event. At the time of compiling this report, the Edo State Police Command had not yet released a formal statement regarding the arrest.
When PUNCH contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command indicated that she was not yet formally briefed on the situation and could not provide an immediate reaction. Local authorities and emergency responders have yet to independently confirm the current whereabouts or the physical condition of the five-year-old child.