A teenage girl from Umuokoro Obinkita Arochukwu who had been chained by the neck and limbs and locked away by her parents has been rescued by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps.
The girl was rescued from her home following a tip-off via viral messages on WhatsApp about her condition.
Unsettled by the story, the First Lady of Abia State, Dr. Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, who is also chairman of the State Action Committee on Gender-based violence, ordered an investigation of the online posts.
Witnesses said the girl who is named Ada was placed in chains and locked in the house by her mother with the NSCDC officers having to force their ways into the building to rescue the girl.
The mother was arrested, and she told Daily Trust on Sunday that her daughter had a mental challenge and had to be chained to prevent her from wandering.
A representative of First lady, Chika Ojiegbe, who spoke to newsmen at the state headquarters of the Civil Defense Corps, said the First Lady’s Vicar Hope Foundation has taken custody of the abused girl with a view to facilitating expert psychiatric evaluation to ascertain her condition and provide treatment.
The Public Relation Officer of the Nigeria Civil Defense Mr. Ndukwe confirmed the development saying that an arrest has been made, adding that the State Commandant of the Civil Defense Corps has directed a thorough investigation of the incident.
