Battered 15-year-old refuses to report assault to police

A 15-year-old girl, Oluebube Amadi, has refused to report her guardian, Mrs. Ebere Ugochukwu, to the police for allegedly assaulting her. Amadi, a primary six pupil, lives with the woman 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.

 PUNCH Metro learnt that Amadi had told the Good Samaritan, identified simply as Rukayat, that she was, on January 11, spanked by Ugochukwu for sending one of her daughters on an errand. The victim had reportedly added that the woman applied pepper on her injuries after the flogging.

However, Ugochukwu told our

orrespondent 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.

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