The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a trainee herbalist, Ifagbenga Taiwo, for allegedly murdering his 41-day-old son in the Keesi area of Adatan, Abeokuta.

During police interrogation, Taiwo claimed he was under a spell and not in control of his actions at the time of the incident.

The tragedy occurred on Monday, December 9, when the baby’s mother, Raimat Wasilat, left her son on a bed while she stepped outside to wash clothes. Upon returning, she found the infant with his throat slit and immediately raised an alarm, drawing the attention of neighbors and law enforcement.

According to Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer Omolola Odutola, Wasilat accused her husband of the crime, leading to his arrest.

Taiwo admitted to using a knife to kill his son but maintained that he was driven by an external force.

“I didn’t go home on Sunday because of work. On Monday, I went home, took a bath, gave my wife money for feeding, and left for work,” Taiwo explained in Yoruba. “Later, I realized I had forgotten my protective charms at home. When I went back to retrieve them, I felt something strange in my body—a compulsion to commit a crime.”

He recounted returning home to find his wife absent from the washing area. Overcome by an uncontrollable urge, he picked up a knife from his mother’s room and attacked his son.

“When I got home, I didn’t see my wife outside. I went inside, picked up a knife, and went to where my son was lying. That’s the last thing I remember before I regained my senses,” Taiwo said. “When I realized my son was dead, I was horrified and fled through the back door.”

Responding to rumors that the act was motivated by a desire to separate from his wife, Taiwo denied any such intentions. “I love my wife and never planned to divorce her. I don’t know how it happened. It was already done before I realized it. I panicked and fled because I didn’t know what to do. I’m deeply sorry for what I did,” he said.

The suspect has appealed to the government for mercy as investigations into the incident continue.