A man, who operates a laundry shop at Ikang, Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State, has allegedly killed a two-year-old boy left in his care by his mother and harvested his internal organs

According to eyewitnesses, the suspect is a neighbour to the mother of the murdered baby.

Emem, a resident of the area said: "The mother of the boy usually drops off her son in the laundry shop operated by her neighbour on market days, Mondays and Fridays to go to market for business.

"Last Friday, when she returned from the market, she went to pick up her son but she couldn't find him. She asked people around but no one seemed to answer her. So, she went to the laundry shop, and scattered the pile of clothes only to find her son lying lifeless with blood everywhere. Her screams attracted the attention of other neighbours who rushed to the shop.

"There was a knife close to the pile of clothes and it looked like what was used to kill the child because it had blood stains on it," another witness, who prefers anonymity said.

She said the mutilated body and knife found in the shop led to a massive search for the suspect, who was caught while attempting to abscond to an unknown destination.

"After several hours of beatings, the suspect refused to speak up. He was later handed over to the police, who promised detailed follow-up."