Mother Brutalizes Son, Causing Deformed Head, Injured Face, Shoulder And Back

A mother in Lagos State was recently arrested for inflicting continual and grievous harm on her 6-year-old son, Divine, from a previous marriage.

The gender unit of Ajangbandi Police Station nabbed Peace Onyebuchi after a concerned neighbor alerted a human rights group, Advocates for Children and Vulnerable People's Network, about Onyebuchi’s brutalities— that lasted for several months. Her most recent assault on the boy lasted for about two hours and resulted in deep injuries on his neck, back, head, face and shoulders.

“I was not even aware of the issue until recently when my landlord's daughter told me about it. I immediately told the landlord who didn't take the issue lightly; he immediately mobilized all the neighbors to her door and demanded that she should bring out the boy so we could see him, at least to be sure he was still alive,” said a neighbor, as cited in Emmanuel's Blog.

"I used to see Divine in 2019 whenever he was going to school. He was a very fine young boy. He was very healthy and alive but since I had not been seeing him, I assumed he was not around. Little did we know she had been locking him up. When the landlord asked the mother to bring him out, what we saw was horrible,” she added.

The incident occurred in Ekunpa, Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos, and it is alleged that Onyebuchi had begun beating the child ever since he was four years old. The beatings often spanned between an hour and a half, and those residing in the locality could often hear the child’s wails. Onyebuchi, who is currently married to another man, allegedly struck Divine and slammed his head against the wall at the slightest provocation.

While neighbors remember the little boy as a smart and bright child, they revealed that they were aghast at his most recent appearance. The boy, who was also locked up for months, bore a morose look and barely seemed to be able to sit and stand, let alone walk. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency care and treatment.