The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it arrested a middle-aged couple for alleged murder of their nine year-old-son accused of being a wizard.

The state police commissioner, Zaki Ahmed in his maiden press conference in Uyo on Wednesday at the command’s headquarters Ikot-akpanabia Uyo, said the couple Okon Essien and Peace Okon at Oron axis of the state lured the deceased Joseph Okon to a mangrove swamp, killed and buried him in the swamp.

According to the CP, “The couple conspired and lured their son, whom they accused of witchcraft into an engine boat with the pretence of going to cut bamboo sticks in a swamp to be used for the construction of kitchen.

“While at the swamp, the suspects removed concoction prepared with poisonous seed called “asene” and water, used enema and pumped the concoction into the deceased’s stomach leading to his instant death.

“The suspects secretly dug a shallow grave in the swamp and buried the deceased.”

The Commissioner also said the command had arrested one Joseph Bassey Micheal of ObioEtoi village who sold his nine-month-old son, David Bassey at the rate of two hundred thousand naira (N200,000 )on a pretense of taking him to hospital for treatment.

“On 15/4/2019, SARS Operatives arrested one Joseph Bassey Micheal who pretended to be taking his nine months old child, David Bassey to the hospital for treatment, but handed over the child to an agent, one Peter Sunday ‘m’ who assisted him in selling the said child for N200,000,” he said.

Ahmed, who linked most crimes in the state to cultism, said that while some of the suspects would be charged to court immediately, others would be charged at the completion of investigations even as he called on the people of the area not to relent in giving useful and timely information to the police.

“The command under my watch will have zero tolerance for perpetrators of these crimes. I call on those perpetrating any form of criminality in the state to desist forthwith or quickly leave the state as no resources will be spared in ensuring that they are brought to book.

“Let me assure you that I am here to serve the good people of Akwa Ibom and I will do so professionally, respecting the rule of law and in accordance with international best practices. I shall prioritize intelligence led policing, improve visibility policing, massive deployments of personnel, prompt response to distress calls and enhance community policing partnership,” he concluded.