The father of an 11-year-old boy allegedly buried alive by his stepbrother in Kogi state is reportedly on the run.

The incident occurred on Wednesday in the Apamsede community, Adavi Local Government Area of the state.

The boy’s stepmother had instructed her son to punish him for allegedly stealing N1,000. The stepbrother then took the boy into the bush and buried him alive.

Passers-by rescued the boy, who was taken to the hospital for treatment. He is now in stable condition.

The police have arrested the boy’s stepmother and stepbrother. The police are also searching for the boy’s father, who is believed to have fled the community.

The district head of Apamsede, Malam Garba Ahmed, said the boy’s father was present at the traditional ruler’s palace on the day of the incident when the stepmother and stepson gave reasons for their action.

“The boy’s father probably ran away when we insisted on inviting the police to handle the matter,” Ahmed said.

The traditional council of the Apamsede community has decided to banish the stepmother and stepson from the community once they have faced the wrath of the law.

The police team who brought the boy’s stepmother to their house in Apamsede on Saturday morning discovered that the shovel and cutlass allegedly used in burying the teenager were missing.