A guardian, Mr. ThankGod Madubuchi, and
his wife, Juliet, have been arrested by policemen from the Ilupeju
division, for allegedly torturing a 10-year-old girl, Chinansa, with a
hot iron...
PUNCH Metro learnt that
Chinansa was ThankGod’s niece and she had been living with his family at
their house on Anjorin Street, Mushin, Lagos State, for some time.
ThankGod and his wife were alleged to
have always assaulted the victim over minor offences, as appeals from
neighbours fell on deaf ears.
However, matter came to a head on Tuesday, September 5, when the couple used a hot iron to torture the victim.
She was reportedly accused of licking powdered chocolate beverage (tea) without permission.
The couple were said to have locked her
up in the house, which drew the attention of residents who alerted
officials of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team.
An official of the agency told our correspondent that neighbours attested to the regular abuse of Chinansa.
He said, “The abuse had been going on
for a long time. We were informed that in the past, the man’s wife used
razor blades to cut her in different parts of the body because she
mistakenly tore her (Juliet) clothes. The neighbours didn’t raise the
alarm that time because they thought the couple would change until the
one that happened on that Tuesday.
“The girl was accused of licking
powdered beverage without permission and the man used a hot iron to
torture her. He then locked her up in the house without taking her to a
hospital. Residents, who feared for the girl’s life, alerted the DSVRT.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that
policemen from the Ilupeju division arrested the couple as two officials
of the DSVRT and an officer of the Child Protection Unit rescued the
victim from the house.
The couple were arraigned before a family court at the Ogba Chief Magistrate’s Court on counts bordering on child abuse.
The defendants, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, were granted bail by the Chief Magistrate, T. Akanbi.
While Juliet was granted bail on self
recognition because she was nursing a six-month-old baby, the husband
was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in like
sum.
A DSVRT survivor advocate, Mrs. Tumininu
Oni, appeared in court with the Investigating Police Officer, Inspector
Roseline Ilekhue, who was represented by one Inspector James.
The case was adjourned till September 20, 2017.
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