11-Year Old Tortured, Chained In The Toilet By Ogun Couple

An 11-year old girl has been rescued by the Ogun state police command. She was rescued from a couple Chioma and Innocent Anozie, for allegedly torturing her.

According to report, the girl Oluchi, was allegedly flogged the victim with ropes, starved and locked her up in a toilet for two days for wanting to play with other children in the neighbourhood.
The attention of some soldiers was called by worried neighbours who found the girl crying in the toilet.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the primary four pupil started living with the couple about four years ago when she was brought from her hometown in Owerri, Imo State.

The landlady of their house, Mrs. Florence Sanusi, noted that cries of the victim always filled the compound each time Chioma assaulted her.

She said, 

“They have been living in my house since December 2014. I, however, observed that she (Chioma) always flogged the girl. There was a day it rained heavily and I was hearing the girl’s cry. When I queried her husband, he said nothing was happening.
“But when I saw the girl the next day, her body was full of torture marks. Her eye was also swollen. She told me her guardian flogged her with cables.
“Recently, I heard her crying again and when I could not bear it, I warned them to stop the abuse or I would evict them from my house. Because of my reaction, they instructed the girl that whenever they flogged her, she must not cry. So, I started to hear muffled groans.
“I was fed up with their action and was planning to issue them a notice to quit this morning (Friday) when I was informed that they had locked the girl in the toilet without food for the past two days. When I talked to the girl, she said her madam said she would be in the toilet for 21 days and that was why I raised the alarm.”

A resident, who did not want to be identified, said the soldiers reported at the Ibafo Police Station and returned with two policemen.

He said, 

“When the policemen came, they called the woman’s husband on the telephone and he warned them not to break his door. The policemen did not stay long before leaving the girl in the toilet.”

The girl spoke with a Punch correspondent:

“My parents have seven children and I am their fifth child. All my siblings are living with other distant relatives. My madam (Chioma) is the daughter of my father’s sister .
“When I was brought from the village four years ago, she said I would be cleaning the house and washing clothes and dishes. I am supposed to be in Junior Secondary School 2, but she put me in primary 4.
“Before we came to Ibafo, her husband used to allow me to play freely. But since we relocated here, she stopped me from going out. She said all the people in this house are criminals and they can use me for money ritual. She always beats me with ropes and cables.
“I have been inside the toilet since yesterday morning (Thursday). She locked me up because I went to take a story book in her room. She said I was lying and that I actually went to look for keys to open the door and go out.
“She used celotape to seal my mouth and chained my legs. She flogged me with ropes and a stick. She said I would serve 21 punishments. I only took garri on Thursday morning.”

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Oyeyemi, confirmed the arrest of the suspects to our correspondent on Sunday.

He promised to issue a statement on the incident detailing the suspects’ statements to the police.