Couple In Police Net For Brutalising 8-Year-Old Maid In Ebonyi
Operatives of the Ebonyi state police command have arrested and detained a couple for torturing an eight-year-old house maid at Mile-50 area of the state. The suspects, Philip Iboko from Izzi local government area of Ebonyi state resident around Ebonyi Voice Avenue allegedly tortured the underaged girl, Osinachi for licking N10.00 milk candy sweet bought for their two-year-old baby.
Video clip capturing the moment, the victim was kept under the sun with her two legs tied by her madam, Mrs Agartha Iboko has been trending on the social media.
Orient Daily gathered that it took the intervention of passionate neighbours identified as Mr Chinedu and Mr Raymond to secure release of the victim from the cruel punishment.
A source who witnessed the incident said: “they came together and took the girl off the scorching sun, as she was already getting weak consequent upon the beating she received from her aunty and the heat from the harsh sun”.
Calls put across to the Ebonyi state police command public relations officer, Mrs Loveth Odah, were not answered. She was also yet to reply text messages send to her mobile line, as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, human rights groups, like the Human Rights Defenders Foundation (HURIDE), Child Protection Network and Save The Next Child Foundation, among others, condemned the maltreatment on the girl.
Barr Steve Ugama of the Save The Next Child Foundation, speaking to our correspondent, said he was taking the girl to hospital for medical attention and described the incident as uncalled for.
The activists, while interacting with correspondent in different interviews, said, “Yesterday (Sunday), on receiving the report, Human Rights Defenders Foundation (HURIDE) in collaboration with human rights groups stormed the crime scene at No. 7 Divine Grace Street, Mile 50, Abakaliki.
“However, before we got there, Mrs Agartha and her husband, Philip Iboko had locked up their house and run way, switching off their phones. Mrs Agartha Philip Iboko is a 26-year-old mother of one and a serving National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member with the ministry of agriculture, Ebonyi state.
“In our firm resolve to track the perpetrators of the heinous crime, we had to go to the chairman of Izzi local government area, Chief Paul Nwogha who later assisted us bring the fleeing violators back the Abakaliki so they can face the consequences of their actions.
“So, this morning, October 26, 2020, we invited the police to get her arrested alongside her husband for complicity. While we wait for tomorrow October 27th, to re-unite the abused child with her parents, she is left in a momentary custody of the Izzi local government area chairman, Chief Nwogha, on his request.
Similarly, the police in Ebonyi have rescued another child whose identity is yet unknown on Monday while he was wandering about with rope on his hands.
The boy was seen on early morning of Monday with his hands tied with rope.
The boy said her aunty tied his hands with the rope and sent her away from the house. He could not provide the address of his house. As at 7 pm on Monday, the boy was seen at the office of police public relations officer DSP Loveth Odah where he was kept waiting for someone to identify the boy and possibly take him home.
#orientdailynews
