Joshua Obinim, a Ghanaian living in the United Kingdom, who was stabbed together with his wife, Alberta Obinim, and their 17-year-old daughter by his son, has opened up on the events that transpired during the tragic incident, which occurred in August 2024.
Speaking in a recent interview on Sky News, Joshua Obinim narrated how his son first attacked and killed his mother before pouncing on his little sister in their home in East Manchester.
He indicated he became aware of the incident during the attack on his 17-year-old daughter, and his attempt to stop it led to his son turning on him.
“I saw my son outside the door of my daughter with a knife. So I asked, ‘What is going on?’ And usually he’s someone who listens to me. So I just said, give me the knife. I stretched forth my left hand, I held the blade, and then he said, ‘Don’t try it.’
“And when I got out, I saw that our neighbours, both of them, were not in. So I crossed over the street, knocking on the door hard and shouting, ‘Help, help!!! Please call police. We need help.’ He just came and met me there, and then he caught my head, so blood was just gushing out. So I did it like this, and then he went into my belly,” he narrated.
He added, “I didn’t know he had already attacked my elder daughter, and my wife had already been killed. I didn’t know that. I thought I was the first person he was attacking, so I was pleading with him not to kill me. Then a neighbour came out, I saw her, and she was shouting at him, ‘Stop, Ben, stop. Don’t do that to your daddy. Don’t do that to your daddy.’ When I was lying on the floor, I said to myself, if help doesn’t arrive within a minute, I know I’ll be dead.”
He indicated that in the weeks before the attack, their son Benjamin had been acting strangely, and as strong Christians, they saw his mental health issues as spiritual.
Emotional video of vigil held for stabbed Ghanaian woman in UK emerges online
“I thought it was a demonic attack that he’s got. He was saying things and saying things. And sometimes I tell him, ‘No, this is not what you’re saying. It is not true. This is not that.’ He was praying a lot, so I was also praying with him and with my wife. Sometimes I pray for him for long hours.
“After his arrest, Benjamin was detained under the Mental Health Act and later diagnosed with schizophrenia,” he said.
He said that if he had been aware that his son’s issue was related to a mental illness, he would have certainly gotten him the necessary medical treatment.
“I had not even heard of that word. If I knew, I would have taken the initiative. I would have done something about it, because praying for someone to get healed doesn’t mean the person doesn’t need medical attention. It’s a regret. It’s a regret. If I knew, I would have done both together — both seek the medical attention and also keep on praying for him.”
Joshua Obinim also told his son, who is currently being confirmed in a mental health facility, that his family has forgiven his actions.
“What I would say to him is that he should be able to forgive himself, and he should remember that we have not stopped loving him. We are forgiving him, so he should forgive himself,” he appealed.
About the incident:
The Ghanaian community in the United Kingdom in August 2025 organised a vigil in memory of a woman, Alberta Obinim, after the incident.
Alberta Obinim, 43, her husband, 64, and their 17-year-old daughter were reportedly stabbed by their 27-year-old son on August 18, 2024, in their family home in Gorton, East Manchester, UK, over a supposed family dispute.
Unfortunately, Alberta died, but her husband and daughter were rushed to the hospital while the suspect was arrested.
Watch a video of Joshua Obinim’s remarks (below):
@skynews A man whose son attacked his family with a knife while suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia has told Sky News, he mistook his son’s mental health symptoms for a spiritual struggle. Benjamin Obinim killed his mother and seriously injured his dad and sister in Manchester in August last year and was detained under the mental health act. Sky’s Shingi Mararike has been exploring the sometimes complicated relationship some religious communities have between their faith and mental health and how blurred lines between the two led to tragedy for the Obinim family. #skynews #mentalhealth ♬ original sound – Sky News
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