A human rights organisation in Imo State has rescued 13-year-old Favour Nuhu, whose right eye was reportedly deformed by her guardian, Mrs. Joyce Onyinye.
Through its founder, Chidiebube Okeoma, the Stand For Humanity Foundation informed our reporter that the girl has been admitted to the State University Medical Centre in Owerri in order to get immediate medical assistance.
He also revealed that the minor’s afflicted right eye prevents them from seeing anything, according to the doctors’ first inspection.
According to Okeoma, the boy, who was reportedly from Kaduna State, informed detectives at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Owerri that her 30-year-old guardian had injured her with a laptop cord.
According to the organisation’s founder, some worried residents who live in the same area as the residents sent his foundation a tip about the situation.
In telling the concerned citizens about her plight, he added, the child disclosed to them that her madam was dehumanising her and had really injured one of her eyes. However, out of fear, she begged her interviewers not to notify her madam so that she wouldn’t beat her any more.
“Upon getting the hint, we quickly went to the State Police Command headquarters in Owerri and reported the matter.
Policemen were assigned to us and we moved to Green Health Estate at Ohii in Owerri where the minor resides with her guardian, but on our arrival we were told that the woman and the battered girl left before we arrived.
“We went back to the police command headquarters and saw the woman and the battered girl probably the woman got a wind of it from the inquiry we made,”he said.
According to the human rights foundation, the minor was interviewed by policemen and she reiterated that the injury was inflicted on her by her guardian.
The guardian, upon being interviewed by police, made a confessional statement admitting that she flogged her but refused to acknowledge that it was as a result of the flogging that damaged the girl’s right eye.
The police ordered that the minor be taken to the hospital.
“We took her to the State Health Insurance Agency where we enrolled her into the free Healthcare Insurance Agency scheme for vulnerable children.
“The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Uche Ewelike gave an express approval considering the girl’s condition referred her to the State University Medical Centre in Owerri for admission and Camel Eye clinic at Tetlow for eye examination.” Okeoma further said.
The woman was later granted administrative bail because she is a nursing mother but instructed to be available whenever her presence is needed by the police.
The founder of the organization used the moment to advise against child battering and dehumanization of any sort.
“If you can no longer tolerate a child’s excesses please take him or her back to her parents. You have no right to batter any child, not even the one you gave birth to.
“We will keep fighting child battering until we completely win it. No child deserves to be dehumanized. Not even his or her background status will warrant anybody to batter them,” he advised
