Pictured: Police Sergeant Brutalises 8yr Old Daughter For Allegedly Being a Witch

A police sergeant from Ibiaku community, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ita Ayamba, has allegedly brutalised and abandoned his eight-year-old daughter, Goodness Ayamba over her refusal to confess to witchcraft.

Ita was said to have paraded the little girl along the village streets naked, declaring that Goodness was responsible for his retrogression in the Police Force.

The said police sergeant tortured his daughter for several hours in an attempt to extract a confession of being a witch from her.

According to a family member, "When he discovered that Goodness had passed out, Ita abandoned her, having hit her chest with the butt of his AK 47 Rifle.

"None of us could go close to Ita to rescue Goodness as he had threatened to shoot anyone that dared.

"I don’t see how a child of that age could become a clog in the wheel of her father’s progress in the Police Force. We need to tell each other the truth. Progress in one’s career depends on the efforts one has made academically."

It was learnt that Ita had divorced Goodness’ mother some years back. He was said to have remarried almost immediately, leaving three children including Goodness with their grandmother.

A resident of the area, Okon Ekong, said that on July 28, 2013 when the children were on holiday, Ita had requested custody of them. He was said to be at his new station in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the time.

Ita’s former wife, Mrs. Anietie Ayamba, allegedly heeded his request and took the children to him. Ekong said that the children’s stepmother made life miserable for them.

He said, "It was during their stay in Port Hracourt, that their stepmother took the children to a Pentecostal church. Goodness was accused of witchcraft at the church. Her stepmother was told that Goodness was the person responsible for their father’s non-rising profile in the force.

"The father who was also in the church began to beat and kick Goodness in a bid to extract a confession about her witchcraft."

When Punch Metro visited Immanuel Hospital, Eket, Eket LGA, on Saturday, where Goodness was taken to for medical attention, it was gathered that she had been admitted at the intensive care unit of the children’s ward.

Nurses at the hospital said Goodness’ condition was stable but that her bones and chest cavity had been badly damaged.

A group of women lawyers under the aegis of Federation of International Women Lawyers have said that they would do everything within their power to ensure that Ita was brought to justice.

The state director of the organisation, Mrs. Mary Udonsek, stated that the women would not continue to sit back and allow men maltreat their children on the guise of labelling them witches.

Ita, said to be working at Trans Amadi Police Station, Port Harcourt, Rivers State had allegedly not been to Ibiaku, Mkpat Enin LGA since the incident.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Etim Dickson, said the Rivers State Police Command would be contacted about the matter.

PUNCH

GRAPHIC PHOTO: Customs Officer Killed @ Seme Border by Angry Mob

culled from Punch

There was mayhem at the Seme border area of Lagos State on Thursday after a 35-year-old man, Saturday Joel, was shot by officials of the Nigerian Customs Service.

Eyewitnesses said Joel was hit by a stray bullet while some customs officers were trying to apprehend a motorist who was smuggling a red Volkswagen bus from Benin Republic into Nigeria.

It was learnt that after the shooting, some residents took to the streets in protest. The residents were said to have alleged that customs officials had killed at least three motorists this month under the pretext that they were smugglers.

It was learnt that in the ensuing pandemonium, the customs officials stationed in the area fled. However, a Superintendent of Customs, identified as J. I Motojelu, was said to have been driving by at the time.

PUNCH Metro learnt that in retaliation, the angry mob, led by a community leader, dragged the officer out of his Toyota Corolla car marked ABJ 663 DW, and killed him.

It was learnt that the irate mob, also set the deceased officer’s vehicle ablaze and set up bonfires at the centre of the road.

The culprits were said to have used the opportunity to steal some items that had previously been seized by customs.

Sources told our correspondent that some customs officials and policemen later returned to the scene and fired shots to disperse the mob.

Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, said his men attempted to put out the fire but they had to retreat because of the sporadic gunshots in the area.

It was learnt that the victim had been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

But the NCS Public Relations Officer, Seme Command, Ernest Olattah, said in a statement that the officer was killed while on his way to attend a meeting at the command.

He said, “We announce the gruesome killing of one of our senior officers by some smugglers in the Ashipa area of Seme around 9.50am on Thursday. The deceased officer, while in his official uniform, unarmed, and driving to the command’s headquarters for a routine meeting, was accosted by a mob who forced him out of his vehicle.

“Led by an identified chief of the community, the officer was murdered in cold blood, while his vehicle was set ablaze.”

The customs spokesman said efforts were on to apprehend the culprits adding that the customs had achieved many feats this year alone.

This is SAD! It shows how very lawless the country is. Unfortunately, it's usually innocent people that get entangled in these killings! 

I sincerely hope something is done fast, to stop these unwarranted killings and jungle justice in our beloved country Nigeria! 

Woman Sentenced to One Year in Prison For Pouring Hot Oil On Boyfriend [Graphic Photo]

A Karu Senior Magistrates’ court, on Monday, sentenced a 25-year-old woman, Victoria Alonge, to one-year in jail for pouring hot oil on her boyfriend, Roland Nna, over his refusal to marry her.

The Senior Magistrate, Omolola Akindele, summarily sentenced Alonge without an option of fine after the convict admitted to committing the offence in court.

Alonge was arraigned by the police on a one-count charge of causing grievous hurt on Nna, her boyfriend, who lives in Kurudu, Abuja.

The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Paschal Njoku, had earlier told the court that Nna reported the incident at Kurudu Police Station on August 11.

Njoku said Alonge went to Nna’s house at about 4:30 a.m. on the fateful day and poured hot oil on him while he was asleep, resulting in grievous hurt on his body.

He said she was immediately arrested by the police, based on the report and confession to committing the crime before the police Njoku said while in detention, Alonge threatened to inflict more harm on the victim.

The prosecutor urged the court to summarily punish the accused since she did not deny the charge brought against her.

In her defence, Alonge told the court that her estranged lover dated her for over four years and promised tomarry her, only for him to change his mind after falling in love with another woman in Abuja.

She reportedly said: “I did that to teach him a bitter lesson because he refused to marry me after dating me for over four years.

“He fooled me and my parents and ditched me after finding a new lover here in Abuja. I live in Lagos with my parents.” - 

I wonder when it became by force to marry...