A couple, Paul Onyeama and Adline Ogbonna, are currently helping the police in their investigation for allegedly beating their 10-year-old adopted daughter to death in the Igando area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Sunday following weeks of alleged abuse, as it was gathered that the couple, who lived on Jemesi Papa Street, had reportedly subjected the child to persistent maltreatment, including frequent assaults and sending her on strenuous errands despite her young age.
The girl, identified as Faith, was said to have been ill for about two weeks, but the alleged abuse reportedly continued unabated.
A resident, Adekunle Taofeek, said he the situation escalated on Sunday when the husband and wife were said to have severely beaten the ailing child, leading to her death.
He said, “The couple had adopted a 10-year-old girl. They had been consistently maltreating and assaulting the child, while also sending her on unnecessary errands.
“I was informed that the girl had been sick for about two weeks, yet the abuse continued. Yesterday, both the husband and wife allegedly beat the child severely despite her condition, and sadly, she died”.
It was gathered that the suspects later rushed the victim to a hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.
Angered by the development, youths in the area who learnt of the incident apprehended the woman.
Another resident, who pleaded anonymity for personal reasons, narrated that the husband, who had allegedly left home earlier to charter a tricycle to dispose of the girl’s corpse, was also held by the youths.
“The moment the girl died, they kept her corpse in the room and acted as though nothing had happened. The wife even came out this morning to cook in the kitchen like nothing had happened.
“It was residents who had been observing what was going on that raised the alarm about the whereabouts of the girl before they discovered that she had died. If they had succeeded in disposing of the body, no one would have known her whereabouts”, the resident said.
He added that the matter was promptly reported at the Igando Police Division.
Police operatives were thereafter deployed to the scene, leading to the arrest of the couple and the recovery of the child’s body.
A police source said the suspects, during interrogation, claimed the girl was sick and died while receiving treatment at a hospital.
“Our preliminary findings revealed that the child was already dead before she was brought to the medical facility. The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation”, the source said.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, could not be reached for comments as calls to her telephone line were not answered. A text message sent to her had yet to be replied to as of the time of filing this report.