The Delta State Police Command has confirmed that a man identified as Taye, who had been on the run after allegedly killing and secretly burying his 13-year-old daughter, Davina, has finally surrendered to the authorities.
Taye reportedly carried out the act on September 7, 2027, before fleeing alongside members of his family. His wife was later arrested by the police over the incident, a development that eventually forced him to turn himself in at the Ebrumede Police Division in Uvwie Local Government Area.
Delta Police spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the case in a WhatsApp message to journalists in Warri but noted that investigations are still ongoing. He stressed that it cannot yet be confirmed if the father indeed killed his daughter until an autopsy is conducted.
According to reports, Davina’s mother, Miss Dorcas, who had been raising the child singlehandedly for 13 years, allowed her daughter to spend the holidays with her father after he requested bonding time. But community sources say the young girl was subjected to emotional stress in the house, and at one point even pleaded with her mother over the phone to come and take her back.
The matter took a tragic turn when Dorcas was informed on September 7 that her daughter was about to be buried. She rushed to Taye’s family compound, only to be beaten by Taye and his sister before being shown the spot where Davina had already been buried without explanation. Shocked and devastated, Dorcas reportedly fainted on the scene.
Community members said Taye’s family insisted Davina would not be returned to her mother despite repeated demands. When police stormed the family’s residence in Ugbolokposo later that night, the entire household had fled, except Taye’s wife, who was arrested. She claimed to have been away for over a week and denied knowledge of the child’s death.
Civil rights activists have since called for a thorough investigation, insisting that both Taye and his wife must provide answers about the suspicious death and hurried burial of the teenager. Meanwhile, the police say an autopsy will determine the actual cause of death as the probe continues.
