Edo: Tragedy in Fugar as son hammers father to death

Shock and grief have enveloped Fugar community in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State following the alleged murder of a community chief, Chief Julius Bello Ogata, by his son with a hammer.

The tragic incident, which occurred on Monday, has left residents bewildered, with many struggling to understand what could have prompted the suspect to attack his father, who had reportedly welcomed him warmly on his return to the community.

Community sources said the suspect, whose identity was yet to be established, had been living in Lagos and had not visited the community for some time.

He reportedly returned from Lagos over the weekend, ostensibly to visit his family and attend a burial ceremony in the community. His arrival did not raise any suspicion among residents or family members.

On arrival, the deceased was said to have welcomed his son warmly. The two reportedly had a fruitful discussion that night before retiring to bed.

However, the peaceful reunion allegedly took a horrific turn in the dead of night when the suspect sneaked into his father’s room while he was asleep and repeatedly struck him on the head with a hammer.

Believing that his father was dead, the suspect reportedly fled the house and escaped from the community to an unknown destination.

In what appeared to be a desperate struggle for survival, the injured chief reportedly managed to crawl out of his room and alert family members, who immediately rushed to his assistance.

He was subsequently taken for medical attention but later died from the injuries sustained in the attack.

A resident of the community, who identified himself only as Peter, described the incident as an abomination, saying Fugar had never witnessed such a tragedy.

He said, “The boy is living in Lagos. He came to the village for a burial but ended up killing his father. He didn’t shoot him with a gun but killed him with a hammer. He went to his father’s room after he had slept and attacked him with a hammer before fleeing the community.”

Peter added that the community was unaware of any disagreement or grievance between the deceased and his son, making the alleged killing even more shocking.

He further disclosed that the suspect had not been seen since the incident.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said the suspect allegedly attacked his father with a hammer before fleeing after believing he had killed him.

Ikoedem explained that following a distress call, police operatives rushed to the scene and took the victim to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead.

She said the police had launched a manhunt for the suspect, assuring that he would be apprehended and brought to justice.

As of the time of filing this report, the suspect remained at large, while residents of Fugar continued to mourn the death of the community chief.