There was rage and fury in Enugu State over the stabbing of a newborn baby boy to death by his mother following the instruction by her mother.
The incident, which happened at Olocha-Adogba in Awgu community, Awgu Local Government Area on November 7.
It was reported that the mother of baby, 18 year-old Ada Joy Okonkwo, gave birth to the baby on that day but her mother, one Mrs. Christiana Okonkwo, 60, allegedly gave her knife to kill the baby.
It was also learnt that Mrs. Okonkwo was never happy with her daughter for getting pregnant out of wedlock.
It was also alleged that she has attempted to force the girl to remove the baby but was discouraged on the account that it would affect the life of her daughter.
“So, she waited for the girl to be delivered of the baby before giving her a knife to kill the baby and she stabbed him to death,” a source said.
The incident has expectedly drawn condemnation from the members of the public, particularly women of the community, who marched in protest.
The women marched round the community expressing disgust over the act.
Enugu police spokesman Daniel Ndukwe confirmed the incident.
In a statement he on Friday, Ndukwe stated the grandmother and her daughter had been arrested for conspiracy and murder of a newborn male child (infanticide).
Ndukwe revealed Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, had ordered the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID) Enugu to thoroughly investigate the case.
According to him: “Preliminary investigation shows that the said mother of the newborn child used a kitchen knife to stab the child to death, following the counseling of her mother, moments after she was delivered of the baby at home.
“The child was taken to the hospital and confirmed dead by the doctors on duty, while the corpse was deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy”.
The statement urged the citizens of the community, particularly the protesting women to maintain peace and avoid acts that could lead to the breakdown of law and order in the community.
He appealed them to be supportive, while reiterating that the case would be meticulously investigated and prosecuted within record time.
