Again, Police Arrests Couple in Enugu Over Child Abuse, Assault

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, July 14th, 2020

Picture: Mercy Umo displays her injuries

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Enugu State police command has arrested one Effiok Umo and his wife, Nnenna Umo, both of Okwojo Ngwo, in Udi Council area of the state, for allegedly inflicting serious bodily harm on their 12 years old daughter.

Their arrest followed information received by the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmad AbdurRahman, from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Enugu “on 12/07/2020 and his consequent directive to the Divisional Police Officer, 9th Mile Police Station, to ensure the suspects are arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

Our Correspondent reports that this is coming barely a week after the command equally arrested a couple in Enugu and charged them to court over inhuman treatment against their 10 year old house help, one Nneoma Nnadi, whom the madam used hot electric iron to ‘design’ her body.

The couple inflicted various degrees of injuries on parts of body of the child whose name was given as Mercy Umo.

A statement made available to African Examiner in Enugu Tuesday by the command’s spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe Ekea, said the “commissioner has condemned the act in its entirety.”

“While frowning at the unbecoming occurrence of acts of child abuse, assault and inflicting of grievous bodily harm on children, the Commissioner has vowed to prosecute the suspects to serve as deterrent to parents/guardians, who intend or have been committing such inhuman acts that infringes upon the personality and Fundamental Human Rights of children, especially susceptible ones.

The Enugu police boss, further warns parents/guardians to desist from maltreating their children/wards at slightest provocation, but instead exercise due caution while punishing them for acts of wrongdoing to avoid causing them bodily harms and/or lifetime physical and psychological trauma.

He said, “preliminary investigation shows that the couple are used to abusing and assaulting the child for little or no justifiable reasons by using objects, such as sticks, electric wires, heels of shoes and so on to mercilessly flog, hit and/or beat her up.

“The height of it happened on 10/07/2020 at about 2230hrs when the wife, who is the child’s stepmother, abused and assaulted her to the extent of inflicting her bodily harm on the excuse that she dozed off while slicing onions required for food being prepared the said night. This led to neighbours, who have found their act of inhuman treatment of the child unbearable, reporting the matter to the Police through National Human Rights Commission.

“Residents of the state have been entreated to promptly report any person(s) found committing acts that impinge on the well-being and fundamental Human Rights of vulnerable children to the nearest Police Station or by calling the command’s hotlines.”