The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a commercial tricycle operator identified as Chinedu Adim for allegedly beating his 8-year-old year daughter to a coma in Awka, the State capital.
The 33-year-old who is a native of Lokpa in Abia State said his wife abandoned him with two of their children.
Witnesses alleged that the suspect has been using hard substances since his wife left, which usually triggers him to brutalize his daughter, who is currently on life support after he beat her to a stupor on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
The suspect however denied the allegations during interrogation, describing the daughter’s ugly experience as spiritual.
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Chinedu said: “I was formerly a member of Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) before I started driving Keke. We married twelve years ago with 2 kids, a girl and a boy, 8 and 6 years old.
“My wife left me 8 years ago after my shop got burnt. My kids were suffering in the village and I had to pick them up five years ago.
He further stated: “My daughter woke up one morning and I observed injuries all over her body while I was bathing her. I asked her and she said she woke up to see lines on her body. I took her to the hospital where she was treated.
“The second time, she said she fell on the tiles and sustained injuries on the head. Some things she does appear strange to me. Sometimes I wake up at midnight and won’t see her. I said this is not ordinary and took her to church for deliverance.
“The third time I came back to drop food for her, I was told she was rushed to the hospital. She was in a coma throughout yesterday.”
Reacting to the incident, the state commissioner for women and social welfare, Ify Obinabo said the report she got said the suspect beat the victim to a coma, describing his narration as folk tales.
She said, “The girl has been in the hospital since yesterday. The father beat her to a stupor, claiming she was beaten in the dream. He had thought she would die so as to cover his actions.
“You know when men are abandoned by their wives, they tend to transfer aggression on their innocent children and forget that their blood is running in them.”
Mrs. Obinabo therefore urged parents to be mindful of the type of disciplinary measures they give to their children to avoid hurting them even as she encouraged parents and guardians to give punishment according to the age of the child.
“We’re not saying that parents should not flog their kids as a way of correcting them. But you beat them according to their age. That’s why the adage says, “use one hand and beat a child and use the other to draw him back.”
While assuring of her ministry’s readiness to ensure the victim receives medical attention to make sure she survived, Obinabo said the suspect would be handed over to the police for further interrogation and prosecution.
