Authority arrest woman for allegedly torturing 11-year-old housekeeper to death in Jos (graphic photos)

Thank you for reading this post. Don't forget to subscribe!

An 11-year-old girl, identified as Margaret Joshua has died in Jos as a result of alleged physical abuse by her guardian, Mrs. Nneamaka Nwachuku, a Microbiologist who works in one of the Research Institutes in Vom, Jos South local government area of Plateau State.

Vanguard reports that the victim who is from Kebbi State and was fleeing from insecurity in her community was taken to the accused who proposed to be of help to her.

The alleged abuser, a mother of two who did not enroll the victim in any school in the over one year that the girl had spent with her, allegedly indulged in the daily beating of the girl until she finally died as the result of the assault. It was alleged that after a recent beating, the girl was forced to sit in a container with hot water which burnt her buttocks and she died in the hospital on Monday, November 14.

The Plateau State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, Grace Pam, whose office is following up on the case told Vanguard that based on the number of scars and wounds on her body, her guardians must have subjected her to a series of torture during the period that she stayed with the family.

“Our attention was called to the situation on Monday by a staff in the hospital who said that an a 11-year-old girl was seriously beaten and injured by her guardian, Mrs. Nneamaka Nwachukwu in Vom. The girl had scars and burns on her body. We were told that she was taken to Mandela hospital in Kaduna Vom before she was referred to come to Jos.

When some of our staff met with Mrs. Nwachukwu at the Police Station in Vom where she was detained, she confessed she has been beating her and claimed the girl used to masturbate so she was punishing her so she could stop. She claimed she did not know what used to come over her because she felt bad anytime she beats the child.” Pam said

Speaking on the burns on the victim’s buttocks, the guardian claimed;

“she fell into hot water and ran out of the house after the incident for almost 24hrs.”

It was however gathered that someone saw the traumatized girl on the street and took her to the Police station at Kaduna Vom. The security agents then took the girl to the hospital before calling the attention of her guardian as Mrs. Pam expressed worry that, “no action was taken to take care of the girl in her condition for about 24hrs until someone saw her and took her to the Police station.”

It was also gathered that this was not the first time the Nwachukwus would assault the girl as the Police had earlier warned them against maltreating the girl and asked them to return the girl to her parents. The supposed guardians have not met the girl’s parents who are in Kebbi State but are said to have been speaking with them on phone.

However, the case has been transferred from the Police Station in Kaduna to the Police Headquarters in Jos as investigations continue.

The Plateau State Police Command has arrested the woman who allegedly tortured an 11-year-old girl, Margaret Joshua, to death in Jos. 

The spokesperson of the command, Alfred Alabo, confirmed the development to newsmen in a statement on Thursday, November 17, 2022.

The PPRO said the suspect, a mother of two and a microbiologist at the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom (NVRI) Plateau, Mrs. Nnamaka Nwachukwu, forced the minor to sit in a bowl of hot water, which resulted in severe injuries in her buttocks and private part.

The suspect, who resides in K-Vom, Jos south LGA, was said to have inflicted injuries on the body of the minor until she died from the torture.

The victim is said to be a native of Kebbi state, who escaped her community over insecurity, and was brought to Jos by a presumed helper who gave her out as a maid to the suspect.

The suspect allegedly beat the minor constantly and refused to register her in school despite promising to enroll the victim.

The police spokesperson said the case is currently being investigated, adding that the suspect would be charged in court soon.

Grace Pam, the coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Plateau, who followed up on the case, said the injuries on the body of the minor showed she was subjected to torture.

The suspect claimed the girl fell on her own into the bowl of hot water and ran out of the house without her knowing her whereabouts for more than 24hrs. 

Pam said the girl was found in the building (pictured) and taken to the K-Vom police station before she was moved to the hospital where she died hours later.

“Our attention was called about the situation on Monday, by a staff of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), who said that an 11-year-old girl had been seriously beaten up and injured by her guardian,” Pam said.

“On getting to the hospital, we saw several old and new scars, and injuries on her entire body. We were told that she was taken to Mandela hospital in K-Vom, but was referred to JUTH due to the severity of her wounds.

“When we met the suspect at the police station where she was initially detained, she claimed that the girl used to masturbate, and so she was beating her to serve as punishment to make her stop.

“She claimed she did not know what used to come over her each time she beats the girl because she quickly regrets it after the act.

“The suspect also claimed that the deceased fell into hot water after which she ran out of the house and did not return for almost 24 hours.”

Also commenting on the issue, Keneng John, a neighbor to the suspect, said it was not the first time the minor was tortured by her guardian, adding that they have reported the case to the police on several occasions.

John added that the suspect had been instructed by the police to return the minor many times but she refused.