Police arrest parents for domestic violence on 12-year-old daughter

A man and his wife have been apprehended by the Nigeria Police for unleashing domestic violence on a 12-year-old girl, causing the teenager bodily harm. The arrested suspects are the father and mother of the victim of domestic violence and child abuse. Thus, they were arrested to torturing their daughter. However, police investigation later found that the teenager is a stepdaughter to the said parents.

The Enugu State Police Command in a statement on Tuesday disclosed the arrest of a couple for torture and causing grievous body harm on a 12-year-old girl in Enugu, who is daughter of the arrested suspects.

The Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, in the statement explained that the couple were arrested on July 12 in Okwojo village, Ngwo community in Udi Local Government Area, of Enugu State.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Enugu had reported the incident to the police which precipitated immediate action, leading the arrest of the man and his wife.

The PPRO in the statement highlighted: “The Command  wishes to inform the general public that it has arrested one Effiok Umo and his wife, Nnenna Umo, both of Okwojo village in  Ngwo community, for allegedly abusing and assaulting their 12-years old daughter (name withheld), thereby, inflicting her bodily harm.

The victim

“The arrest is sequel to information received by the Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdurrahman, from National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) office in Enugu.

“Consequently, the Commissioner directed the Divisional Police Officer, 9th Mile Police Station, to ensure the suspects are arrested and prosecuted accordingly.”

The PPRO added that the Commissioner expressed his disapproval of the rising incidence of domestic violence and child abuse in the state, decrying the unbecoming occurrence of child abuse, assault and inflicting of grievous bodily harm on children.

He stated that the CP has vowed to prosecute the suspects to serve as deterrent to parents/guardians, who intend or have been committing such inhuman acts that infringe on the personality and fundamental human rights of children, especially, susceptible ones.

The CP had further warned parents and guardians to desist from maltreating their children or wards at slightest provocation, counseling they should exercise due caution while punishing their children for wrongdoings to avoid causing them bodily harms and/or lifetime physical and psychological trauma.

The PPRO disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the couple often abuse and assault the child for little or no justifiable reasons by using dangerous objects on her.

The Police Spokesman identified that dangerous objects to include sticks, electric wires, heels of shoes and so on to mercilessly flog, hit and/or beat their daughter.

The police lamented that the height of it happened on July 10, at about 10.0 p.m. when the wife, who is the child’s stepmother, abused and assaulted her to the extent of inflicting her bodily harm for the simple reason that she slept off while slicing onions to prepare food in the house at night.

“This led to neighbours, who have found their act of inhuman treatment of the child unbearable, reporting the matter to the police through the NHRC,’’ he said.