Lagos artisan allegedly beats seven-year-old son to death over fish

Nathaniel was a 7-year old promising child who should have still been alive to pursue his dream but for a reason beyond a mere explanation, he was cut down at his prime. He reportedly died during a severe beating by his own father, Saviour Aniefok, a Lagos based artisan.

In a report which was published by Punch Newspaper on Tuesday, the father was said to have been contacted by a customer in his Magodo Isheri area of Lagos to help her repair a damaged microwave.

The customer reportedly gave him a piece of fish to be able to test the microwave in the process of repairing. But on delivering the completed job, he didn't remember to take the fish along. He left it in the shop. On returning to the shop and discovering the fish, he took it home so as to preserve it for the customer.

By following day, the fish was already missing. Getting no answer from his son on how the fish got missing, he reportedly descended on him and started beating him.

According to one of the neighbors who narrated the incident to Punch Correspondent on the condition of anonymity, Nathaniel was head crying and shouting for help. The neighbor also claimed that they heard a loud bang on the floor and wall and with that, they knew it was the man that was beating and smashing his child on the wall.

The neighbor who confirmed that he saw Nathaniel on Sunday and even gave him a snacks, narrated how their father used to slam them on the floor whenever they commit any offence at home. 

It was revealed that the father arranged the burial the following day and immediately went into hiding after the burial claiming that his father was sick and went to take care of him.

The case was said to have been reported to Isheri Police division where he was contacted, but in response, he told them that he travelled to the East to take care of his sick father and the IPOB stay at home order could not allow him travel down to Lagos as schedule.

Narrating how his son died, he denied killing him saying he stole his customer's fish and why asking him he denied it. He claimed that he went inside and by the time he returned, he noticed that he was on the run. While running, he slipped on the tiles and hit his head. He later died of the injury after taking him to two different hospitals.

However, the police confirmed that investigation into the matter is still ongoing promising it would get across to Punch Newspaper for update.

It was gathered that Nathaniel and his brother were staying with their father and stepmother. But as at the time the incident happened, their stepmother was reportedly not around. Perhaps, if she was around, Nathaniel's death would have been prevented.