A 15-year-old girl, Oluebube Amadi, has
refused to report her guardian, Mrs.
Ebere Ugochukwu, to the police for
allegedly assaulting her.
Amadi, a primary six pupil, lives with the
woman on Muhammed Akinje Street,
Ejigbo, Lagos State.
It was learnt that a Good Samaritan who
met her while she was writhing in pain on
the street advised the victim to report
the assault to the police. But she turned
down the idea for fear of being
punished again by the guardian.
Punch Metro learnt that Amadi had told
the Good Samaritan, identified simply as
Rukayat, that she was, on January 11,
spanked by Ugochukwu for sending one
of her daughters on an errand.
The victim had reportedly added that
the woman applied pepper on her injuries
after the flogging.
However, Ugochukwu told our
correspondent that she spanked the
victim for allegedly masturbating.
She
also justified the assault on the ground
that Amadi had a habit of stealing.
Ugochukwu said
“She touches her private parts with her
fingers and she has started doing same
to my daughters. I was really annoyed.
When I asked her where she learnt it,
she said she used to do it in the village.
The beating I gave her was the highest
since she has been living with me. I tied
her hands and legs. Besides, she is used
to stealing. She steals my money and
items from school.
“I brought her from Enugu in 2012 to
look after my children because I used to
lock them up whenever I was going out.
My mother got her for me from her
parents, who live beside our house.”
Although the girl confessed to the
allegations, she insisted that Ugochukwu
punished her on the fateful day for
sending her daughter on errand.
She said,
“She usually flogs me. I steal and do
bombom(masturbate), but I did not steal
that day. She beat me for sending her
daughter to bring me soap to wash
plates.”
When our correspondent inquired to know
why she engaged in such acts, she did
not respond. However, when asked
whether the woman sprinkled pepper on
the scars in her back, she said,
“She will beat me if I tell you.”
Ugochukwu’s husband Emeka, a vehicle
inspection officer, said, “The items she
stole from school are still with her. I told
her to return them. I will take her back
to her parents.”
A neighbour to the woman, who craved
anonymity, said beating has become “a
hobby” for the girl.
“That is how she beats her. Everybody
has complained, including the landlady to
no avail. We even told her to take her
back to the village if she can’t cope with
her. Now, nobody bothers to intervene
whenever the girl is being flogged,” she
said
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