Man kills twin daughters he labeled ‘witches’

The Cross River Police Command has arrested a man, Anyanime Festus, 33, for killing his twin children, Emediong Festus and Mfoniso Festus, both 11 years old for allegedly being witches.

Presenting the suspects to journalists in Calabar on Tuesday, the Acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Hafiz Inuwa, alleged that the suspect killed his twins for confessing to being witches.

Mr. Inuwa said the incident happened on January 11, 2017 in Uyanga community in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.

He said the matter was reported to the police by David Innocent and Joseph Orok from the same area.

“The incident happened on January 11, 2017 in Uyanga community in Akamkpa Local Government Area following a report to the police by one David Innocent and Joseph Orok.

“They reported that the two female identical twins were found lying along Uyanga bush track in Akamkpa.

“According to them, one of the twins was found dead while the other was lying down and was unable to speak.

“Much later, the other twin that was lying down was able to speak and she gave her name as Emediong Festus and that of her twin sister as Mfoniso Festus, both 11 years.

“That on Jan. 10, 2017, their father told them he was taking them to their mother, and on getting to a bush track, he gave them malt drink suspected to be mixed with poisonous substances.

“Shortly after they drank the malt, her sister died and their father abandoned them there,’’ he said.

The commissioner further said that the other twin later died in the hospital, adding that both corpses were now deposited at the General Hospital, Akamkpa, for autopsy.

The suspect, who is a taxi driver, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that since the incident happened, he had “not been himself”.

Festus, who said he regretted his action, blamed the incident on the devil.

“I poisoned them through the malt I gave them to drink. I did it because they confessed to being witches,” he said. (NAN)