A 14-year-old schoolboy identified as Ogar was discovered dead and beheaded in the Yahe River within the Yala local government area of Cross River State, sparking panic and grief among residents following his disappearance on a Friday afternoon.
Key facts surrounding the incident indicate that the victim went missing after returning from school on Friday, his headless corpse was found about a kilometer away in the Yahe River on Saturday afternoon, and local law enforcement has commenced a formal inquiry into the tragedy.
What do we know about his disappearance?
According to the boy's mother, Agnes, the teenager vanished shortly after eating a meal at home. When he failed to return, the family initiated a frantic search around the neighborhood.
“I don’t know who did this wicked act to me — my only source of hope after his father died three years ago. His body without the head was found at the river,” Agnes stated while recounting the devastating discovery.
She noted that the local river is rarely visited for swimming or domestic chores during this period because the water is turbid and brownish, making it puzzling how the youngster ended up there.
What are peers and authorities saying?
A classmate of the deceased, Jacob, stated that Ogar never mentioned any plans to visit the location or leave with anyone, noting that he only found out about the tragedy after the corpse was retrieved.
An official at the Nigeria Police Force station in Yahe acknowledged that an investigation is underway, though specific details were withheld because the local divisional police commander was away on official duty in Calabar.
“I can tell you we are investigating the matter,” the police source confirmed.