Imo Teacher Arrested for Alleged Abuse of 12-Year-Old Stepdaughter

The Imo State Police Command has detained a secondary school teacher named Blessing Emmanuel for allegedly mistreating her 12-year-old stepdaughter, Amarachi.

The teacher was apprehended on Tuesday after a complaint was filed by Owerri-based activist journalist Chidiebube Okeoma at the Owerri Area Command headquarters.

Okeoma learned about the victim’s situation when two local women, Eunice and Amarachi, saw her selling sachet water on the streets, exhibiting visible signs of injury.

A widely circulated video shared by Okeoma on social media depicted the girl with bruises, scars, and cuts from a machete.

Okeoma announced on Thursday that the teacher had been apprehended, revealing that he transported Amarachi to Umuguma General Hospital in Owerri, where she is presently receiving critical medical attention.

He said, “Amarachi Emmanuel is 12 years old. Her mother died in 2018 and her father married the suspect in 2019. They live in the Nekede area of Owerri. The girl and her two siblings have been out of school for years now.

“The woman commanded them to be hawking sachet water for her every day and be making returns to her while their mates are in schools.”

Amarachi shared that her stepmother often treats them poorly.

He stated, “They sell pure water from morning until night and often go to bed hungry. The latest beating occurred because she cooked rice and ate without her permission.”

Here’s the paraphrase for those sentences:

Following the incident, Okeoma brought the girl to the police station, leading to the teacher’s swift apprehension.

Additionally, he registered Amarachi in the Imo State Health Insurance Program for at-risk children and is actively promoting her well-being.

He added, “I have involved the National Human Rights Commission, Owerri Municipal Council Welfare Department and the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

“Many Human Rights Organizations have also contacted me in regards to this case. The Owerri branch of the Nigeria Bar Association has also contacted me. Various media organizations are interested in the girl’s matter now.

“Battering 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 into slaves, simply because their mother is late and their father is medically unstable.”

Okeoma intends to ensure that Amarachi and her siblings receive education and aims to offer them suitable housing, as they are presently living in inadequate circumstances.

He reported that Amarachi has sustained injuries, including burns and lacerations on her thighs, eyes, genitals, legs, arms, and abdomen.

“Little Amarachi Emmanuel needs all of us now. Let us tell her that humanity is not wicked. There are compassionate Nigerians all over,” he said.

Imo State Police Command spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the developments, stating, “The state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, had given a directive that the right things be done in the matter.

“When investigations are concluded, the police would do the needful to ensure that the victim gets justice.”