The police in Ogun State have rescued a six-year-old girl after her stepmother, Abimbola, allegedly tortured her with nails at their residence in Ijagba, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state.
The little girl’s plight was brought to the notice of the police by a non-governmental organization, Olanrewaju Omo-George Foundation, after it received reports from concerned neighbors about the horrific treatment her father Taiwo Onabanjo and his new wife meted out on the minor. The foundation’s supervisor, Christopher Onuegbu, said immediately the report was received, a complaint was made at the Sagamu police division and the couple were immediately arrested.
“We received a distress call that a stepmother had been torturing a child with nails. The stepmother used the nails to inflict injuries on her head and body, and we asked for the location and the person said it was in Ijagba, Sagamu. I informed our secretary to report the incident at the Sagamu Police Station, where two policewomen accompanied our secretary to the address and arrested the stepmother.
During the arrest, the neighbours came out and testified that the woman had been maltreating the child. A call was made to the husband and when he came, he supported his wife and the Divisional Police Officer arrested him. The child has been running a temperature because she was brutalised from head to toe; we took her to the Skylack Medical Hospital, where she is receiving treatment.
We are trying to locate the biological mother of the child, who is said to be in Ijebu-Igbo. Our foundation has decided to settle the victim’s medical bills and sponsor her education until she graduates from higher institution.” Onuegbu said
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the husband had been released. He added that the stepmother is being held and interrogated at the Sagamu Divisional Police headquarters while the victim has been taken to hospital for medical attention.
He said the suspect would be charged to court once the investigation is concluded.
