I poisoned my twin daughter for being ‘witches’ - Calabar man confesses

A 33-year-old man, Festus Anyanime, has regretted killing his twin daughters because they allegedly confessed to be witches.

Anyanime, a taxi driver from Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, said he killed his 11-year-old twin daughters, identified as Emediong and Mfoniso, with poisoned malt drink on January 10, 2017.

He was paraded alongside other criminals at the Cross River State Police Command in Calabar on Tuesday.

The man admitted that he had initially planned to take the children for prayers before he decided to murder them.

He said, “I did not do it intentionally. I have not been able to come to terms with what happened and I cannot really explain.

“Since it happened, I have not been myself. I am not happy with myself as it is. I will forever regret what happened.

“I suffered for those children and I wonder why I did that to them. It is largely the handiwork of the devil and I beg for God’s forgiveness.

“I was told that they were witches and I was taking them to where I could rescue them but there was a mysterious change of mind somewhere along the line.”

Speaking during the exercise, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, said the suspect was arrested following report by one David Innocent and Richard Orok after the twin girls were found lying along a bush track in Njachang village in Akamkpa Local Government Area.

He said, “On January 11, 2017 at about 9.20am, we acted on report received from one David Innocent and Richard Orok, both from Njachang village in Akamkpa LGA that two identical female children were found lying along Uyanga bush track. On close look, one of them was dead while the other was bleeding and could speak.

“She gave her name as Emediong (11-years) and that of her sister as Mfoniso. She also gave the name of their father as Festus Anyanime. That on January 10, 2017, their father told them that he was taking them to their mother and on getting to the bush track, he gave them malt. The malt drink was suspected to be mixed with poisonous substance unknown to them.

“She said that shortly after drinking it, her sister died and their father abandoned them there. Sadly, Emediong later died in the hospital. Both corpses are now deposited at the Akamkpa General Hospital.”