Wonders will never end, that is what many people keep saying. On Friday, Ifeoma Gabriel, sharpened her knife, looked closely at her six-month old child and beheaded him without any remorse. She was promptly arrested by the police and she is now telling the security agencies what happened that fateful day. Correspondent, JOSEPH MIDAT, cornered the embattled mother at the Kaduna State Police Command, where she is being detained for the heinous crime and she opened up on why she killed her beloved baby. Excerpts.
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Tell us your name?
My name is Ifeoma Gabriel, I am from Abia State.
Why are you in Police Custody?
I am here because of the problem with my baby.
What happened to the baby?
The baby was not feeling fine and was refusing to eat. So I used my kitchen knife to cut her head. I did that because, the baby had been sick for weeks. I do not know why I did that.
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How old was the baby?
The baby was 6-months old.
But how old are you?
I’m 26 years old.
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Why did you use the knife?
The baby was ill and I could not stand her situation any more. I was tired of carrying a sick baby.
Was that your first child?
She was my third baby; the first born is 15, and the second is getting to 13.
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How did the father of your baby react to what you did?
He was not happy; he cried uncontrollably. He kept asking me why I beheaded the baby and I told him that I did not know what came over me while I was killing her.
Is it true that you drank the blood of your baby after killing her?
No, I did not want to drink the blood. However when people came and saw that I had killed her, they forced me to drink the blood and I had to do so under duress.
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Are you happy now?
No, I am not happy, is just condition of my case.
Did you make any attempt to take you baby to hospital?
Yes, I did. I made effort to take her to the hospital where I attended ante natal clinic.
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What did the Doctor say the baby was suffering from?
The medical people just give the baby injection and asked me to take her home and take care of her. And when I took the baby home, she fell sick again, then I killed her. I did not know what I was doing.
What is your prayer now?
My prayer is that God should not let that kind of thing to enter my head again.
What do you want the police to do for you?
They should allow me to remain here because my life is in danger.
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Have you ever had any misunderstanding with your husband?
No, I have not been fighting with my husband.
Where was your husband Gabriel when you killed his daughter?
He went to Office.
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At what time did you killed her?
In the afternoon when I was the only one at home