The lmo State Police Command has arrested a secondary school teacher in the state, Mrs Blessing Emmanuel, for torturing a 12-year-old girl, Amarachi Emmanuel.
Mrs Emmanuel was arrested on Tuesday following a tip-off lodged by a concerned citizen at Owerri Area command headquarters located in Owerri metropolis.
The victim’s plight was brought to attention by two Owerri-based women, Eunice and Amarachi, who saw the girl selling sachet water on the streets of Owerri with her body battered.
In a video clip posted on social media, the girl was seen with bruises, scars and cuts on her body.
The women, who are based in Owerri, said they took the girl to Umuguma General Hospital in Owerri, where she is currently receiving medical attention.
“Amarachi Emmanuel is 12 years old. Her mother died in 2018 and his father married the suspect in 2019. They live in Nekede area of Owerri. The girl and her two siblings have been out of school for years now.
“The woman commanded them to hawk sachet water for her every day and be making returns to her while their mates are in school.
“The girl told newsmen that her stepmom dehumanizes them. They sell pure water for her from morning till night and mostly go to bed hungry. The latest bartering was because the girl said she cooked rice to eat without the woman’s permission and on getting home, the woman battered her.
“Owerri Area command on hearing the story got the woman arrested, immediately. In order to save the girl’s life.
“I have involved the National Human Rights Commission, Owerri Municipal Council Welfare Department and the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
“Bartering of children has no place in the 21st century. Police are investigating the matter and the woman will be arraigned in court as soon as they conclude their investigation.
“The woman turned the girl and her siblings to slaves, simply because their mother is late and their father is medically unstable.”
When contacted, the police public relations officer in the state, Henry Okoye, said the state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, had ordered investigation into the matter.
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