An 18-month-old baby has been brutally killed by unknown assailants at a farm settlement in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State, prompting her father to demand justice.

The victim, identified as the daughter of Mr. Bright Kalu, was allegedly beheaded at Agoti Settlement, a farming community in Idanre.

Kalu, a peasant farmer from Abia State, said the tragic incident occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026, while he was working on a farm located some distance from the settlement.

According to him, the toddler had been left in the care of her mother at the farm camp, when the attack occurred.

Recounting the incident, Kalu said, “On Monday, June 8, 2026, I was returning from a nearby camp where I had gone to buy food items, when I met my wife looking troubled and distressed.

“When I asked what had happened, she told me that someone had come to the camp and attacked her, and that she was able to rescue three of our children, but one was missing.

“My elder brother, Mr Ifeanyi Kalu, and I immediately followed her to the camp and searched the area.

“We did not find anyone, but we later discovered the lifeless body of my daughter behind our house. Her head had been severed.”

The grieving father appealed to the Ondo State Government, security agencies and human rights organisations to ensure that those responsible for the killing are identified and prosecuted.

He disclosed that the matter was first reported at the Olofin Police Station in Idanre, before it was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department at the Police Headquarters in Akure for further investigation.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said a suspect had been arrested in connection with the crime.

Jimoh added that investigations were ongoing and that the suspect would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation. (Daily Trust)

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