By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Yenagoa
A police inspector identified as Sunday Idey has been arrested by operatives of Operation Doo Akpor, a special unit of the Bayelsa State Police Command, for allegedly brutalising his three children over allegations of witchcraft.
Inspector Idey, who is attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Igbogene Police Division, was said to have physically assaulted the minors at the weekend after accusing them of being witches.
Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Idu, confirmed the arrest, adding that investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The case has sparked outrage in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, as residents expressed shock that a police officer charged with protecting lives could turn against his own children in such a cruel manner.
It was gathered that concerned neighbours, who noticed the officer’s repeated assault on the children, alerted personnel of Operation Doo Akpor, who swiftly intervened and rescued the victims. The children were immediately taken to a hospital for medical attention.
Meanwhile, various gender-based rights organisations have strongly condemned the incident. Among those who reacted are the Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Bayelsa Chapter, Dr. Boma Toney Miebai; the National Association of Women Against Gender-Based Violence led by Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry; and the Chairperson of the Do Foundation, Barr. Dianna Iluma Pius.
The activists described the assault as “inhuman and unacceptable,” calling on the police authorities to ensure justice for the children.
Also reacting, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender, who visited both the police station and the hospital, pledged the ministry’s support for the victims and assured that the matter would not be swept under the carpet.
She appealed to well-meaning individuals and groups to assist in rehabilitating the children to enable them to recover from the trauma.