The police in Bayelsa State have rescued a nine-year-old boy, Master Godday Simon Aprebo, allegedly chained to a pole by his stepmother over allegation of witchcraft.

It was learnt that the rescue operation was carried out by operatives of the Ekeki Divisional Command of the Bayelsa State Police Command yesterday.

The incident occurred on Agboli Street at Okutukutu area of Yenagoa metropolis.

The toddler’s stepmother, Peremoboere Botu, allegedly accused him of being a wizard and claimed that Godday was using voodoo power to bewitch her and other family members.

Contrary to the allegation that the police had apprehended the suspect, aged 38, it was learnt that the woman ran away to a yet to be known destination when she heard that the police and rights group were after her.

It was further gathered that some advocacy groups, Starrz Safety Initiative led by its Executive Director, Mary Bekeowei Accrah, and FOMWAN, led by Hajia Maryam Abeki, quickly drew the attention of the Bayelsa State Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) led by Barrister Dise Ogbise over the boy’s suffering and reported the matter to the police.

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Speaking on his ordeal, the victim (Godday) said his stepmother and father accused him of being a wizard and decided to chain him so that he would not run away.

He stated: “They claimed I was the one that had been suffering my father and wanting to kill him. They tied me up to force me to confess to what I don’t know.”

The accused biological father, Simon Afrebo, said to be a prophet, an indigene of Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, has reportedly absconded to avoid arrest.

The State Chairman, GRIT, Dise Ogbise, described the incident as pathetic and another embarrassing case of domestic violence.

She said: “We are once again faced with another pathetic and embarrassing case of domestic violence.

“We will say it again and again, no perpetrator of violence against children will go unpunished and this current case will not be an exception.”

Spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command Asinim Butswat confirmed the incident.

Butswat, a Superintendent of Police, who confirmed that Godday’s stepmother and father had run away, said a discreet investigation was ongoing.