Heartless: Woman takes on 3 years-old girl

A police source told PUNCH Metro on Thursday that
the incident occurred at Ijaiye Ojokoro area of the
state on July 22, 2013.
He said, “The victim (Deborah) lost her mother in
2010. Early this year, Deborah’s father was evicted
from his home and he decided to send Deborah and
his second child to go and stay with his brother,
Vincent, until he settles down.
“Deborah and her nine-year-old sister were
living with Vincent and his wife, Rebecca, in a
one-room apartment at Powerline, Jankara,
Ijaiye Ojokoro. However, Rebecca was always
maltreating the two children.”
According to police investigations, on the day of the
incident, Deborah woke up around 5.30am with a
high temperature.
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The three-year-old girl was said to have started
vomiting and defecating soon after. This was said to
have angered Rebecca, who instead of administering
treatment to the child, decided to beat her up.
A police source said, “In the process of beating the
girl, the suspect pushed her and she fell, hitting her
head against the edge of a wooden chair in the
room.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim started to bleed
from the head. Some neighbours rushed her to
Ahmadiyya Hospital, where she was referred to Orile
Agege General Hospital where she later died.
A woman leader in the area, Kudirat Ogunseyi, was
said to have reported the matter to Ijaye Ojokoro
Police Division after which the suspect was arrested.
Some neighbours, in their statements at the police
station, described the suspect as a hot-tempered
woman, who was fond of beating the children.
“The way that woman beats up the children was very
worrying to the extent that the landlord had
threatened to evict them,” one of the statements
reads.
Vincent told the police that he was not present when
his wife beat his niece to death.
“I was not at home when the incident happened. I
am a photographer during daytime but I work as a
vigilante group member. So I hardly sleep at home,”
he said.
The suspect however said she did not kill the victim
deliberately. She said she only pushed Deborah and
she hit her head against the chair.
“I am a housewife and I have a 10-month-old baby. I
did not mean to kill her (Deborah). I only pushed her
because she vomited and defecated on the floor. I
was only trying to correct her. It was not deliberate. I
am a mother too and I know how I would feel if my
son was killed,” she said.
It was learnt that the matter had been transferred to
the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.
A source at the SCID said the police were waiting for
autopsy. He added that if other wounds were found
on other parts of the victim’s body, it would prove
that the victim was indeed tortured before her death.
When contacted on the telephone, the Police Public
Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said she would call
back.