BY NNENNA MBA, ABAKALIKI
Two teenagers natives of Okposi Ohaozara in Ohaozara local government area of Ebonyi state have petitioned their biological mother one Mary Obasi -Udeh to the State’s Commissioner of police CP Aliyu Garba for alledge child abuse , exposure to sexual assualt among crimes against them .
The teenagers aged 16 and 14years old Chisom Umejesi and Munachi Umejesi respectively,products of separated union initially reported their mother to the Ebonyi Family Law Center ( pet project of the state governor’s wife aimed at resolving family conflicts)but their mother refused to respond to the center’s summons rather she involved police officers from the state’s Area Commander who alledgely intimidated the children and arrested their auntie they ran to for safety.
In the petition made available to 247ureports.com correspondent in Abakaliki, the complainants accused their mother of constant abuses like purposefully striping them naked while flogging,putting pepper into their eyes, pouring hot water on them,beating them with any available dangerous items like cutlasses,shoes with heels which they said one time made one of them to bleed seriously.
They also accused the mother of 8children of depriving them their father’s love,care, always starving them for days and lock them in a room as punishment, and the biggest of it all, giving her male friends access to the children to have carnal knowledge of them against their wishes.
One of them Munachi affirmed that she had been raped severally by their mother’s numerous male friends and the most recent earlier this year resulted into impregnancy and their mother on hearing about it protected her lover instead of her pregnant daughter.
According to them,at the heights of the problems, they ran to their auntie’s house ( the mother’s younger sister) for refuge but rather their mother tagged her kidnapper and arrested her , thereby leaving them hungry and in more devastated state.
They also accused the state’s Police Area Commander Abakaliki for supporting their mother by not allowing peaceful resolution of the matter at the center,sweeping crimes against them under the carpet, intimidating them and arresting their auntie who gave them shelter away from their troubled home,hence the petition to CP Garba Aliyu for appropriate actions.
Responding , Chairman of Ebonyi state Family Law Center Elizabeth Nwali explained that the centre on behalf of the children made the official petition to the state Commissioner of police CP Aliyu Garba following blunt refusal of their mother Mary Obasi-Udeh to stop infrigning on the children’s rights while enjoying protection of the Police .
” Earlier this November 2021, the teenag petitioners came to our office Family Law Center Abakaliki and reported case for child abuse, assualt, defilement among others against their mother Mrs Mary Obasi-Udeh. In our usual way as family resolution center we summoned the woman to hear her version of the story and possibly resolve it for them,but the woman bluntly refused to honor the invitation rather she used the police to alledgely intimidate the children and arrested their auntie for accepting them in her home. As I speak to you the woman and some of her family members are under police custody because she accepted Mary Obasi-Udeh’s children who are also her nieces and nephews for refuge in their home.
“This petition is aimed at telling the CP the true situation of things about the matter to ensure appropriate actions by the police ,geared towards protection of the children’s rights in accordance to the domesticated child rights law 2010.
” I think the woman’s actions are product of frustration.she should allow the 8children access to their father from time to time as they requested to reduce her stress financially and otherwise. She should be made to understand that in accordance to Nigeria constitution which supercdes everyother law whether brideprice was paid or not the children belong to the biological father.
Efforts to speak with the accused mother of 8 Mary Obasi-Udeh and her Lagos state based separated husband Victor Umejesi at the time of this report for reactions was not successful.
On the part of police,the state Command’s public relations officer DSP Odah Loveth said police will react after investigations on the matter.
” Usually, police can’t talk any how . We will react to that when we are done with investigations.”
