Tragedy struck in the Ukubie community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, on Monday when a woman, identified as Madam Stella, drowned her six-year-old daughter, Rachael, in a fit of rage.
The incident, which has left residents in shock, reportedly occurred after Rachael defied her mother’s repeated warnings against bathing in the river.
Eyewitnesses said the little girl had gone to the waterfront when her mother found her and ordered her to leave, but she refused.
“Despite warnings to leave the water, Rachael refused, prompting her mother to become enraged,” an eyewitness recounted.
In a moment of fury, Stella allegedly held her daughter’s hands and threw her into the river twice, leading to the child’s death.
When confronted by distraught community members, Stella confessed to the act, claiming she did not anticipate that it would result in her daughter’s death.
“I regret my actions. I never knew it would happen this way,” she pleaded, seeking forgiveness from the community.
A family member, Jeph Nation, expressed his devastation over the incident, saying, “I have recorded two deaths already in my paternal family at Ukubie this year. All were painful and heart-touching, but this one was so pathetic.”
Videos circulating on social media show Stella surrounded by a crowd, confessing in the Ijaw language. Another video captures her sitting in a boat beside her daughter’s lifeless body as it is transported away.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, said the matter had not been officially reported to the police.
“The matter has not been formally reported to the police,” Mohammed stated.
