Tragedy in Zeelugt: Schoolboy Brutally Murdered; Stroke-Survivor Great-Aunt Stabbed in Bed
By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News|
ZEELUGT, EAST BANK ESSEQUIBO — Crime scene investigators have descended upon the East Bank of Essequibo following a horrifying early morning home invasion that has left a seven-year-old boy dead and his elderly great-aunt critically wounded.
The brutal assault occurred during the early hours of Friday morning at the family’s residence in Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo. Dead is Adriel Aftab Mohamed, a young student attending the Zeelugt Primary School. His 72-year-old great-aunt, Alima Itwari—a vulnerable stroke survivor—narrowly escaped death but remains hospitalized with severe injuries.
A Gruesome Discovery in the Dark
The bloody scene was discovered shortly after 05:00 hours by the elderly woman’s son, Pastor Naseeb Mohamed, after he received an urgent telephone call alerting him that frantic screams were echoing from his mother’s house.
“And I came… I pushed the door, went inside, I put on the lights, because the place was dark,” a visibly shaken Pastor Mohamed recalled during an interview. “I saw my mother lying on the ground… My first thought came to my mind that, you know, like she’s dead. And then I look up a little more in the house. I saw my great-nephew on the ground. I went over to him and I look at him. I see he had a cut to his neck.”
Adriel Mohamed was found lying motionless in a pool of blood inside the living quarters. Nearby, Itwari was discovered clinging to life after suffering a deep stab wound to her neck. The pastor immediately rushed his mother to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where medical staff successfully stabilized her condition.
The “Tall, Thin” Intruder: Forensics Process the Scene
Divisional detectives and forensic investigators cordoned off the Zeelugt property to process the scene. During the search, ranks recovered a bloodstained kitchen knife abandoned on a bed inside one of the rooms. Technicians also documented several blood-stained footprints cutting across a bedroom floor, tracking the intruder’s exit route.
While receiving emergency treatment at the regional hospital, Itwari provided investigators with a brief but chilling account of the attack. She stated that she was sound asleep when she suddenly felt a cold object being pressed hard against her neck. Upon opening her eyes, she was confronted by a “tall, thin person” who instantly plunged the knife into her neck before attacking the seven-year-old child.
Motive Unclear as Community Mourns
The unprovoked savagery of the attack has sent shockwaves through the East Bank Essequibo district, especially given the complete lack of an obvious motive.
| Victim Profile Matrix | Age & Status Baseline | Observed Physical Trauma | Current Status |
| Adriel Aftab Mohamed | 7 Years Old / Primary Student | Fatal, severe cut to the throat | Deceased |
| Alima Itwari | 72 Years Old / Stroke Survivor | Severe, deep stab wound to the neck | Admitted / Stable |
“Well, I don’t know what can be the motivation,” Pastor Mohamed stated, completely baffled by the violence. “My mother is not a rich woman. And then she is 72 years old. She has had stroke right over a year now.” He added that he had dropped both his mother and his great-nephew back home at around 21:30 hours the night before, completely unaware of the tragedy that would unfold hours later.
The Guyana Police Force has launched a full-scale manhunt in the area. Ranks have already questioned several individuals in the immediate neighborhood and have seized surveillance footage from multiple CCTV cameras mounted on nearby properties. Investigators are reviewing the video files to chart the suspect’s movements as they work to identify, track, and apprehend the killer.
