The Enugu State Government has arrested a woman, identified as Ada Ogbogu, who allegedly beat her stepson with a pestle and broke his bone.
The Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, swung into action after a neighbor shared the disturbing incident on X.
According to the neighbor, the 3-year-old victim, named Kaitochikwu, was heard crying, and a neighbor broke into their flat to find the boy unable to stand, with his leg “dangling”.
The child was rushed to a hospital by the neighbour and was later transferred to an orthopedic hospital in Enugu.
An X-ray showed that the stepmother broke the bone in his thigh during the assault.
Announcing Ogbogu’s arrest on Saturday, Enih noted that the woman had been arrested on Friday and is now in police custody.
She said, “Once we were tipped off through one of our whistleblower channels on Friday, I quickly contacted the police and we all mobilised to the location, but only to meet the suspect, Mrs. Ada Ogbogu’s absence. We, therefore, headed for the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu, where we immediately effected her arrest after informing the hospital’s management.
“We were also at the victim’s bedside where we met with the team of doctors handling his case. The poor boy, aged three, had his femur or thigh bone broken.
“It is heart-wrenching how wickedly some people treat other people’s children and sometimes even their own children. But in Enugu State, we have zero tolerance for such excesses. Governor Peter Mbah has declared that no child should suffer abuse in Enugu State under his watch. Hence, this administration has made examples of culprits. This one will not be an exception after the police investigation.
“In the meantime, the wife of the governor, Her Excellency, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, is very pained by this development and has been intensively on the matter. She has promised to not only see that justice is done, but also ensure that the little boy get all the medical treatment he needs to get back on his feet as soon as possible,” Mrs. Enih stated.