‘How my father beat me with barbed wire because of mum’

By Esther Onyegbula

LAGOS—Operatives of Vigilante Group of Nigeria, VGN, Ebutte Metta chapter, have rescued a 12-year-old girl (names withheld), who was battered by her father in Lagos.

It was gathered that the victim was found in critical condition at Oyingbo market, Ebute- Metta, following beatings she allegedly received from her father.

A close family source said: “The victim, a Junior Secondary School, JSS, 1 student with the Canal Secondary School, Orile, Lagos State, would have died from the wound she sustained after her father flogged her with barbed wire, but for the intervention of vigilante members, who found her writhing in pains in the dead of the night.”

It was learned that Kafayat was rushed to Star Clinic, Ebutte-Metta, where she is receiving treatment from the wound she sustained all over her body.

 

‘He broke my mother’s knees’

Narrating how she incurred the wrath of her father, the girl said: “I live with my parents at 4, Kuforiji Street Orile, Lagos.

“On July 7, I ran away from home after receiving severe beating from my father. My offence was that I tried to stop him from beating my mother.

“My father accused my mother of using his hard-earned money to play lotto game and he descended on her with anything he could lay his hands on. My father alleged that my mother loves patronising lotto game and he beat her up mercilessly and broke her knees.

“Despite my mother’s cry for help, none of our neighbours came to her rescue because they are afraid of my father. When I could not bear the beating anymore, I begged my father to stop. He became furious and pounced on me, using a barbed wire to flog me.

“This is not the first time my father will beat my mother and I. I have lost count of his endless beatings. On one occasion, I begged my mother to relocate four of us, her children, to Ilorin so we can stay away from our father due to his constant beating.

 

‘My mum said he’ll change’

“I am the first child. My mother said my father will change, but he gets worse by the day. My mother is currently on admission at the Charity Hospital, Orile, following the beating my father gave her.

“I could not stand his beating anymore and I ran away from home to meet one of my mother’s friends at Oyingbo market, but I did not meet her when I got there.

“I was in great pains and I decided to sleep in the market because I do not want to go back to my father’s house. It was while I was sleeping at the market that some vigilante men came and rescued me. I told them my plight and they took me to the hospital.”

 

Police refuse to intervene

Agbodemu Musbau, Secretary of the VGN, said: “At Iponri Police Station, they said they do not handle such a case. At Area C Police Command, Surulere, they told me to take her to the office of the Public Defender.

“I have been running around with this girl to get the necessary authorities to look into this matter and arrest the father, but they have refused to take up the case.