June 20, (THEWILL) – The Bayelsa State Police Command has confirmed that 24-year-old Godspower Ebisimiagh, popularly known as Bobby, a suspected member of the notorious Greenlanders cult group, is responsible for the gruesome murder of a six-year-old Muslim boy, Muhammadu Bilah, in Yenagoa.
The tragic incident, which occurred in the Aritalin area of Ovom in Yenagoa Local Government Area, has sparked outrage across the state.
The suspect was apprehended while allegedly attempting to flee with the mutilated body of the child concealed in a sack.
Speaking from police custody, Bobby admitted to being a member of the Greenlanders cult gang but denied claims that he was paid N1 million to procure the boy for ritual purposes.
“I wasn’t paid to bring the boy for any ritual,” he said.
Recounting the events of the day, Bobby claimed he was under the influence of drugs when he killed the child.
“I had taken ‘ice’ [a street name for methamphetamine] that day. While I was eating with the boy, I stood up and smashed him on the floor,” he confessed.
However, a senior police officer who was present during the interrogation challenged Bobby’s account, suggesting the boy may have been poisoned.
“If you claim to have smashed him on the floor, why are there no visible injuries on the body?” the officer queried — a question the suspect could not answer.
Bobby’s head remained heavily bandaged, a result of injuries sustained during an attempted mob lynching before he was rescued by the police.
Speaking on the case, Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, said the suspect was presented to the media to dispel rumours of a cover-up or his alleged death in custody.
CP Idu confirmed that investigations were ongoing to determine whether the killing was linked to a human ritual contract reportedly worth N1 million, as well as to examine if the boy’s food was laced with poison.
“We are conducting a thorough autopsy to establish the actual cause of death.
“We are also looking into the allegations that the suspect may have been contracted by his cult group to carry out this act,” he said.
The Commissioner assured members of the public, advocacy groups, and the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) that the case would be handled with transparency and due diligence.
“We have assured the gender advocacy groups and FIDA that justice will be served in this case,” he added.
The victim, Muhammadu Bilah, originally from Nasarawa State, was reportedly in Yenagoa to celebrate the Eid holiday when he was killed.
The shocking murder has stirred widespread calls for justice and intensified demands for community vigilance and government intervention against ritual killings and cult-related violence in the state.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
