A woman has been apprehended by community members in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State after she allegedly threw her five-year-old child into a river following instructions reportedly given by a self-acclaimed seer in Benin City.
The incident, which surfaced in videos circulating on social media on Tuesday, was shared by X user ChuksEricE and has since generated widespread outrage and debate among Nigerians.
According to information accompanying the viral videos, the woman allegedly abandoned the child after being told by a seer that the five-year-old was a python in human form.
Speaking in the video, the woman reportedly explained that she had been unable to conceive another child after giving birth to the five-year-old. She further claimed that the child had been unable to walk since birth, a situation that prompted her to seek spiritual intervention.
According to her account, she visited a self-acclaimed seer in Benin City who allegedly informed her that the child was responsible for her inability to have more children.
“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 said.
Based on the advice, the woman was said to have thrown the child into a river.
The development has triggered strong reactions from members of the public, many of whom condemned the act and questioned the influence of self-proclaimed spiritualists.
Reacting to the incident, X user #oma22k 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 user, #getKennethed22, expressed sympathy for the woman while blaming the alleged seer, saying, “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?”
Also commenting, #erickson_egbon wrote, “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 of the time of filing this report, the Edo State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command said she was not aware of the occurrence and had not provided any reaction when contacted regarding the matter.
Authorities are yet to independently verify the full circumstances surrounding the incident, including the condition and whereabouts of the child.
Watch the video below:
𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐝𝐨 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫
Credit: X| ChucksEricE
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