8-year-old boy dies after father doused him with petrol

A man whose identity is yet to be disclosed has doused his eight-year-old son with petrol, an incident from which the minor passed away.

The incident happened in the Epe area of Lagos State, around 10:00 am on Monday, August 5, 2024.

It was gathered that the suspect became triggered after the boy misplaced his sewing thread.

Enraged by the missing thread, the suspect allegedly resorted to pouring petrol on the child.

As the boy began to exhibit adverse symptoms, including vomiting white substances, the father attempted to alleviate the situation by giving him palm oil to drink.

Despite this effort, the boy lost consciousness, and local residents rushed him to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, the child was pronounced dead less than two hours after the incident, according to witnesses.

In a viral video circulating online, the suspect is seen kneeling before police officers and residents, attempting to explain his actions, though the audio in the clip is unclear.

An eyewitness in the video noted that foam was seen coming out of the deceased child’s nose and mouth.

The Lagos State police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, stating that the suspect has been arrested on charges of alleged murder.

Hundeyin said, “A report was filed on August 5, 2024, alleging that a father poured petrol on his son’s face and pushed him after the boy misplaced his sewing thread. The boy lost consciousness, and his sister gave him palm oil. After consuming it, he began vomiting, and he was subsequently rushed to the hospital. The doctors on duty confirmed him as being brought in dead.”

The police spokesperson added that while the minor’s body had been taken to a general hospital in Lagos for an autopsy, the suspect would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yaba for further investigation.