Oluebube Amadi,
15, a primary six pupil, lives with her guardian, Mrs. Ebere Ugochukwu, 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.
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.”
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 ; “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.
No comments:
Post a Comment