Days after going missing in Delta, an 11-year-old boy was discovered dead inside a water drum

Joshua Sunday, an 11-year-old boy who had been missing, was found dead inside a drum in Asaba, the capital of Delta State.

Three days after he went missing, the body was discovered inside a water-filled drum in his home on Usonia Street, behind Stephen Keshi Stadium.

Christy Garuba, the deceased’s mother, described the incident on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, stating that her son went missing on Thursday and was found dead on Sunday, February 5.

She claimed that her son had been killed and returned to the compound.

“On my way back to Asaba on Thursday, February 2, I called my son Joshua to let him know that I was going to the West of the country; that was about 3:30 p.m.; He continued to attend primary six classes because he is studying for the common entrance exam (primary six). We were unable to get fuel on time due to fuel shortage, which delayed my travel to Asaba,” she informed the Punch.

“When I arrived in Asaba around 7 p.m., when I entered the house, I saw my son’s slippers scattered on the ground but did not see him. When I inquired about Joshua’s whereabouts, my housekeeper informed me that she believed he went to charge his phone. I went to the location where he typically recharges his phone, but he was not there.

I began looking everywhere for my son, but I never found him. I went to the Division A police station in the evening to report the incident. After three days, I was told to look for my son somewhere, and when I went outside, they called me back to say they had seen him. My son was found dead inside the drum in my corridor when I returned to my compound.

“Imagine that the drum from which I gathered water on Friday morning to wash my face was where they claimed to have found my son. They snuck him back inside the drum after killing him.

In order to bring the killers to justice, the distraught mother urged the state’s security agency to act quickly.

SP Bright Edafe, the State Police Command’s spokesperson, confirmed the incident and reported that some suspects had been apprehended.

The police are awaiting the results of the autopsy to determine the boy’s cause of death. Although some suspects have been apprehended, I am unable to provide an exact count at this time.