By Damilola Akinlotan
A nonagenarian, Pa Joel Afolabi is now a guest of the police in Ekiti for allegedly tied his seven-year-old grandson to a tree and tortured him over missing meat.
The incident happened in Aye-Ekiti, in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the state.
According to a source close to the community, the primary four pupil identified as Tunmise, was accused of eating part of a meat which had been smoked on fire in the kitchen by his grandfather, after he arrived from school.
The source further stated that the meat which belongs to his grandfather was kept on the fire while the pupil was away in the school.
Upon arrival in the house, the 90 year-old grandfather was said to have discovered the missing meat which prompted him to surmon Tunmise asking to know if he was the one who ate the meat.
The boy was said to have denied the allegation insisting that he was not the one.
His response was said to have annoyed the grandfather, who brought out a cane. He flogged him repeatedly, insisting that he (Tunmise) must have been the person who took the meat, as other children who also live in the house are yet to return from school.
He did not stop at beating the boy blue and black, the old man allegedly tied the toddler to a tree and subjected him to other punishment which lasted for several hours, during which he sustained injuries in the left side of the eye.
It was gathered that all the entreaties made to him by other neighbours and passersby to release the boy, fell to the deaf ears of Pa Afolabi old man.
It took the intervention of furious neighbours who later reported the matter to the police and a Non-governmental Organization based in Ekiti State to take up the matter and sanction the man to serve as deterrent.
The boy has been admitted to a private hospital in the town where he is currently receiving treatment for the injuries he sustained during the punishment.
The grand old man has since been arrested by the police.
