Father allegedly kills son with petrol over missing sewing thread in Lagos

An unidentified man allegedly killed his eight-year-old son in the Epe area of Lagos State over a misplaced sewing thread.

According to reports the incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. on August 5, when the father discovered the missing thread. Enraged, he allegedly doused his son with petrol, leading the boy to start vomiting white substances.

In an attempt to ease the boy’s suffering, the suspect reportedly gave him palm oil to drink. Despite this, the child lost consciousness. Neighbors rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he was pronounced dead within two hours of the incident.

A viral video circulating on Tuesday shows the suspect kneeling before police officers and local residents, explaining his actions, although the audio is unclear. An eyewitness in the video mentioned that foam was coming out of the deceased child’s nose and mouth.

Lagos State Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident on Monday, stating that the suspect had been arrested on charges of alleged murder. He explained, “A report was filed on August 5, 2024, alleging that a father poured petrol on his son’s face and pushed him after the boy misplaced his sewing thread. The boy lost consciousness, was given palm oil by his sister, began vomiting, and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be conducted, and the suspect will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yaba for further investigation.”

In a related incident in July, a man named Olumide was arrested for allegedly beating his 19-year-old son, Adeyemi, to death with a shovel for an undisclosed offence. The police have since launched an investigation into that case as well.