Woman admits poisoning her 2 children
Says she did it: ‘because their father failed to buy us Christmas dresses’
By Ngozi Uwujare
In what appeared to be a classic tale of someone who cut her nose to spite her face, a heartless mother who felt the best way to deal with a husband for failing to provide for the family was to poison their two children that subsequently killed one of them, the son, is facing the wrath of the law.
The fincident took place last December in Kolo, Ogbia Local Government area, Bayelsa State, where 32 year old Helen Okwata Azibabeh forced her two children to drink Parafox, a popular herbicide used for curbing weeds. Although, her one year old daughter, Gloria, escaped death by the whiskers, her two year old brother, Innocent, was not so lucky as he died instantly after swallowing the lethal substance. Azibabeh’s atrocity was subsequently discovered by her elder sister who promptly reported to the police when she ran to her for help.
Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Amba Asuquo, confirmed the transfer of the case to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department where the suspect is languishing in detention. He told Saturday Sun of the suspect’s claim that frustration arising from her husband’s failure to buy Christmas dresses for her and her children triggered her homicidal instinct.
When Saturday Sun spoke with the suspected murderess, she stressed that her anger was really directed at her husband. “I didn’t see any of the Christmas clothes my two children could wear,” Azibabeh said.
She reconstructed the dark drama of December 22, 2016: “Early in the morning, I went to the market and bought Parafox, a substance that is used to kill grasses and I gave it to my two children to drink. Gloria was able to survive due to self-medication and hospital treatment, but her brother, Innocent died on the spot after he drank the poison.”
Continuing her dark tales, she said: “I ran to my elder sister’s house and confessed to her what I have done to my two children. She assisted me to rescue Gloria by administering some medication, and we later took her to the hospital. Thereafter, she reported me at Kolo Police station and I was arrested.”
A remorseful Azibabeh told Saturday Sun: “I used to have two children. I killed one by myself, now I am left with only one. I want God to forgive me and intervene in my life. I have learnt my lesson. Nigerians should forgive me,” she wailed.
According to CP Asuquo, police have recovered the poisonous substance, but the corpse of the two- year -old victim would not be buried until after a postmortem.
The suspect is to be charged to court for murder as soon as investigation is concluded, the police boss said. “In the meantime, she will continue to be in police custody,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Abdul of the State Criminal Investigation Department.
The authorities should also investigate the mental health status of this woman. One is not exonerating her for what she did, but for a mother to decide to kill her children is very serious and needs a careful and detailed investigation, for posterity sake.