By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
POLICE operatives have arrested one Mrs David Onovughe for torturing her nine-year-old son and his brother with hot knives in Delta State.
Mrs. Onovughe was detained for assisting her husband in using hot knives heated by a burning stove on their children, Goodnews, and Anointing in Udu Local Government Area.
It was detailed in a statement signed by a Human Rights activist, Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, that Goodnews was abused because he used part of the money he was asked to get cigarette for a neighbour to eat because he was hungry.
He stated that the female neighbour informed the mother of the nine-year-old boy, who then informed the father, about the incident.
While being severely tortured by Mr. Onovughe, Goodnews reportedly confessed under duress that he and his 12-year-old brother, Anointing, were the ones who spent the money on food.
As a way of disciplining them, the father flogged them mercilessly while placing the knives, which were already steaming hot, on their backs, buttocks and even on Goodnews’ jaw.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Police Officer, Ovwian Division, CSP Aliyu Shaba, has arrested one of the two suspects, Mrs Onovughe, (mother of the boys), while Mr David Onovughe is said to be on the run.
Agberen added it was high time parents stopped flogging, torturing and putting peppery substance into the private parts of their children as a way of enforcing discipline.
“It is high time parents realized that flogging/torturing, inputting peppery substances into the private parts of their children (dehumanization), and other forms of corporal punishment, are aged long traditions in Nigeria.
“The society may not be responsible for how you fend for your family, but are very much interested on the amount of discipline and treatments you give to them.
“The society, churches, government parastatal and other social groups should play major roles in enlightening parents and wards on how to enforce discipline in the right manner as the effect of enforcing negative punishment on children can result to a lot, now and in the future.”
As of the time of filing the report, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe, has yet to confirm the arrest.
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