A mother of two, Charity Upev is currently being investigated by the Benue State Police Command for allegedly beating her 10 years old stepson, Fanen, to death over a missing piece of meat.
NigeriaCrime.com learned that Charity Upev who lives with her family in one of the adjoining streets along the popular Abu King Shuluwa Way near the Makurdi International Market was apprehended after her neighbours reported the heinous crime to the ‘E Division’ of the State Police Command.
A neighbour in the community who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the death of the deceased almost sparked an angry protest by youths of the area who had wanted to vent their anger on the suspect but for the quick intervention of the police who arrested her.
According to her, “the woman was said to have beaten the boy on Sunday morning for allegedly picking a piece of meat from her pot of soup, but much later in the evening, the boy started vomiting what was suspected to be blood.
“He was rushed to the hospital where he later gave up the ghost. So everyone is saying the boy who is the stepson of the woman, must have suffered internal bleeding which led to his death.
“Though it is an assumption because the autopsy on the cause of death is not yet out but the general belief in the neighbourhood is that he died as a result of the beating he received earlier in the day.”
Confirming the death of the ten year old boy and arrest of the suspect the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene said “on January 23, 2023, at about 5 pm, a case of culpable homicide was reported at the ‘E’ Police Division, Makurdi. A team of detectives were deployed immediately.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased, Fanen Yange, 10 years old of International Market Area, Makurdi was alleged by his stepmother, Mrs Upev to have stolen meat from the pot and she beat him up during the early hours of the day but when the victim went to sleep at night, he could not wake up.”
The Command stated that the remains of the boy had been deposited at the morgue of Bishop Murray hospital Makurdi awaiting autopsy while the investigation into the matter was ongoing.