Enugu – Mr Effiok Umo and his wife, Nnenna, both of Okwojo Ngwo, Udi Local Government Area have been apprehended by the Police Command in the state for allegedly abusing and assaulting their own, twelve-year-old daughter, Mercy Umo.
CP Ahmad AbdulRahman, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police said that the arrest followed a tip off the command received from the National Human Rights Commission, Enugu, on 12/07/2020, and his consequent directive to the divisional police officer, 9th Mile Police Station, to ensure the suspects were arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
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The command’s public relations officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, in a release, said, “The commissioner, while frowning at the unbecoming occurrence of acts of child abuse, assault and inflicting of grievous bodily harm on children, has vowed to prosecute the suspects to serve as a deterrent to parents/guardians, who intend or have been committing such inhuman acts that infringe upon the personality and fundamental human rights of children, especially susceptible ones.”
The commissioner warned parents/guardians to desist from maltreating their children/wards, 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.
According to Ndukwe, preliminary investigations showed that the couple were used to abusing and assaulting the child for little or no justifiable reasons by using objects, such as sticks, electric wires, and heels of shoes to mercilessly flog, hit and/or beat her up.
He added that, “The height of it happened on 10/07/2020, at about 2230hrs, when the wife, who is the child’s stepmother, abused her to the extent of inflicting bodily harm on her on the excuse that she dozed off while slicing onions required for food being prepared on the said night. This prompted neighbours to report the matter to the police through the National Human Rights Commission.”
He enjoined residents of the state to 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 call 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202or 08098880172.
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