Enugu Govt Arrests Woman for Allegedly Torturing and Killing 9-Year-Old Stepdaughter

The Enugu State Government, in collaboration with the state Police Command, has arrested a woman, Ogechi John, over the alleged killing of her nine-year-old stepdaughter, Ogechi Amanda John, in the Emene area of Enugu metropolis.

The suspect, said to be from Oderiko in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was arrested by the police on Monday morning following the incident, which reportedly occurred on Sunday afternoon at their residence in Nchatancha, Emene.

Neighbours alleged that the child died after she was severely beaten by her stepmother at about 3pm on Sunday.

Residents of the area also claimed that the late Amanda had allegedly suffered repeated abuse and maltreatment in the hands of the suspect before the tragic incident.

According to Daily Sun, reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development in Enugu State, Ngozi Enih, condemned the incident and vowed that the state government would ensure justice is served.

“It is on record that the Governor Peter Mbah Administration has zero tolerance for any form of child abuse, let alone child homicide. So, we swung into action on learning about this tragedy to ensure that the suspect was arrested.

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“But it doesn’t end there. We will be pressing for thorough and expedited investigation to ensure that justice is not just done, but done really fast.

“Nobody should take another’s life and certainly not the life of any child in Enugu State. We condemn it in totality,” she stated.

The commissioner added that the government would continue to work closely with security agencies to protect children and ensure perpetrators of abuse are brought to justice.

Police authorities had yet to release an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.