Operatives of the Owerri Urban Area Command have arrested Blessing Emmanuel, a secondary school teacher, for dehumanizing her 12-year-old stepdaughter, Amarachi Emmanuel.
A statement released by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Henry Okoye, said the arrest occurred on Tuesday after a complaint was filed by Owerri-based activist journalist Chidiebube Okeoma at the Owerri Area Command headquarters. Relieving how he got to find out about the battered little girl, Okeoma said;
” Amarachi Emmanuel is 12 years old. Her mother died in 2018 and his father married the suspect in 2019. They live in Nekede area of Owerri. The girl and her two siblings are out of school for years now. The woman commanded them to be hawking satchet water for her everyday and be making returns to her while their mates are in schools.
The girl told me that her step mom dehumanizes them. They sell pure water for her from morning till night and mostly go to bed hungry. The latest bartering was because the girl said she cooked rice and eat without the woman’s permission and on getting home, the woman battered her. I took the girl to Owerri Area command and got the woman arrested, immediately.
Bartering of children has no place in the 21st century. Police are investigating and my request is that the woman be arraigned. The woman turned the girl and her siblings to slaves, simply because their mother is late and their father is medically unstable.
Her lapse, eyes, Virginia, left leg, right hand and stomach were battered with burns and matchet cuts.lin”
During questioning, Mrs. Emmanuel admitted to the offense, raising serious concerns about the treatment of minors in her care.
Okoye said the Owerri Urban Area Command is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children in the community and is conducting further investigations to assess the full extent of the situation.
He urged the public to report any instances of abuse or neglect to ensure prompt intervention.