Shock As Lagos Couple Beats Adopted Daughter to Death

 

Residents of the Igando area of Lagos have been thrown into shock after a couple, Paul Onyeama and Adline Ogbonna, allegedly beat their 10-year-old adopted daughter, Faith, to death.

The incident, which reportedly occurred on Sunday on Jemesi Papa Street, followed weeks of alleged abuse inflicted on the minor by the suspects.

Sources in the neighbourhood disclosed that the couple had consistently subjected the girl to physical assault and forced her to carry out strenuous tasks despite her age.

A resident, Adekunle Taofeek, told PUNCH Metro on Monday that the situation worsened when the child, who had been ill for about two weeks, was allegedly beaten again by the couple.

“The couple adopted the girl but had been maltreating her for a long time, sending her on unnecessary errands and assaulting her regularly,” he said.

He added, “I learnt that the girl had been sick for about two weeks, yet the abuse did not stop. On Sunday, they allegedly beat her severely despite her condition, and she died.”

It was gathered that the suspects later took the child to a hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the couple initially attempted to conceal the incident.

“The moment the girl died, they kept her body in the room and behaved as if nothing had happened. The woman even came out to cook the next morning,” the source said.

The resident added that concerned youths, who had been monitoring the situation, raised the alarm and apprehended the suspects before any attempt could be made to dispose of the body.

“If not for the vigilance of residents, they might have succeeded in getting rid of the corpse and nobody would have known what happened to the girl,” the source stated.

The matter was subsequently reported at the Igando Police Division, prompting officers to visit the scene, arrest the suspects, and recover the remains of the victim.

A police source disclosed that the couple claimed during interrogation that the child died while receiving treatment at a hospital.

“Our findings, however, showed that the child was already dead before she was taken to the hospital. The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation,” the source said.

Taofeek also corroborated the hospital’s position, noting that a doctor confirmed the child was brought in lifeless.

“The suspect claimed the girl died during treatment, but when I contacted the doctor, he confirmed that the child was already dead on arrival,” he added.

He vowed that efforts would be made to ensure justice is served in the matter.

As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, had yet to respond to calls and messages seeking official comments on the incident.