A
12-year-old boy, Michael Agu, has been brought to the Lagos State Government by
a neighbour in the Victoria Island area of the state after five years of being
allegedly tortured by her aunt, identified only as Mama Sarah.
Agu
reveled that he did not want to go back to the woman because of the
torture.
We learnt that the boy, who was brought from the Imuneze area of Anambra
State to stay with the woman around 2010, was registered in a secondary school
just last year. He was said not to be punctual in school due to alleged abuse.
Our
correspondent gathered that the aunt had been reported at the Bar Beach Police
Division sometime last year and had been arrested, but she was freed when she
signed an undertaking not to touch the boy again.
It
was learnt that Mama Sarah, however, continued abusing Agu.
According
to the neighbour who took Agu to the state Ministry of Youths and Social
Development, Alausa, and who identified himself only as Ike, the aunt allegedly
tortured Agu with razor blades and knives.
He
said, “Mama Sarah is from Delta State, and she has three boys and one girl. But
her boys do not stay with her. It is only the girl who stays with her. She
constantly unleashed terror on the boy.
“The
boy’s father is dead, but his mother stays in the village. The boy was not
registered in school until last year. He does not attend school regularly.
“We
once took the case to the Bar Beach Police Division, where the woman was
detained. She was later released, but she has refused to stop the abuse.”
Speaking
with our correspondent, Agu, who could barely speak English, said his aunt usually
cut his body with razor blades whenever he offended her.
“I
don’t want to return to her. She cuts my body with blades and she also bites me
to punish me,” he added.
Our
correspondent learnt that the Child Protection Unit of the ministry had written
to invite Mama Sarah on the alleged torture of the boy.
A
copy of the letter, obtained and signed by the Permanent
Secretary, Ogunmolu T.A., showed that the aunt was told to come to the ministry
last Wednesday.
The
letter read in part, “I am directed to invite you to a meeting with the
Director, Child Development Department, Alausa, Ikeja, at 10am prompt on
Wednesday, January 13. The meeting is in respect of the welfare of Michael
Agu.”
It
was gathered that the woman, however, had yet to show up at the ministry.
Mama
Sarah, when contacted, denied abusing the boy, adding that Agu ran away to be
sleeping under the bridge.
“I
got the ministry’s letter. I did not beat him. He has run away to be sleeping
under the bridge,” she added.
Source: The Punch
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