*For allegedly ‘stealing’ food from her kitchen
The Police in Delta State have confirmed that a 12-year-old girl identified simply as Igho has been assaulted by her aunt, who allegedly rubbed pepper in her private part for reportedly ‘stealing’ garri and fish from her kitchen.
The police spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe said the incident occurred in Isiokolo, Ethiope East council of Delta State.
Edafe said the matter would be charged to a court after investigation.
The aunt, identified as Mercy Oba, was said to have caught the girl red-handed while she was picking the food items; and she pounced on her.
Igho’s scream reportedly attracted her blind mother, who pleaded with Oba (her sister) to stop the beatings.
Rather than heed the plea for mercy on Igho, Oba reportedly forced the young girl down, and inserted pepper in her vagina.
A rights activist, Kelvin Ejumudo, was said to have got wind of the matter and led other colleagues to the scene to rescue the victim.
Ejumudo explained that “Mercy Oba is the sister to the blind woman. The blind woman’s daughter, Igho, went to her room and took garri and fish. When the auntie met her in the room and asked ‘why are you stealing my food’? Igho said they (herself and mother) were hungry.
“She started beating the little girl. The blind mother managed to find her way down and pleaded for her to leave Igho, but she started to beat her too.
“The next thing, she carried the little girl to her room, put pepper in her private part and drove a stick into her vagina.
“People came and were holding her, but she threw their load outside, that they would no longer stay in the house. The next thing she said was she would kill them and nothing would happen.
“I got the distress call that she’s an Igbe woman, so she feels that her juju will protect her. She felt untouchable. We swung into action and got her arrested. She was detained in our presence and medical care was given to the girl and her blind mother.”
Ejumudo said the doctor reported that the girl’s hymen had been broken because of the force the aunt used in driving the stick into her private part.