TRACKING >>The Zone 2 Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus has said that the woman who was filmed beating an orphan and locking him in a kennel, has been arrested.
The video of the woman assaulting the boy made the rounds on social media about 2 weeks ago and celebrities as well as other social media users had called for justice.
Badmus shared a video of the kennel and a photo of the woman.
In a statement made available to Punch, the Coordinator of the Lagos State Domestic Sexual Violence Response Team, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, commended the resident who recorded the video and gave information to security agencies.
She said the suspect was traced based on the information from the mandatory reporter.
“On getting to the house, she was not around. So, we dropped a letter of invitation to her and she responded yesterday (Wednesday). She was arrested and the child taken into protective custody.
“The 10-year-old is her cousin. Apparently, the boy is an orphan and had been living with her. She claimed that he stole.
“But of course locking him in a kennel cannot be the right thing to do. It is a violation of his right has a child. He has the right to life and dignity. He should not be tortured. So, aside from the beating, he was debased as if he was a dog and that will not be allowed in Lagos. We have enshrined the Child Rights Law since 2007 and we are ensuring that the law is enforced.”
“You can report anonymously so that your identity will be preserved. The most important thing is that when you see something, say something,” she said.
Spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, in a statement shared the identity of the woman and how she was arrested.
He said, “On August 14, 2019, a team of detectives from the Gender Unit, Command’s Headquarters Ikeja, arrested Onyinye, 24 for assault and child abuse. This followed a viral video on the social media showing the suspect torturing one Chibuike of same address.
“The video also showed the suspect locking the boy up in a kennel, sharing space with dogs. The video was widely condemned by well-meaning Nigerians.
“The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu, ordered the Gender Unit of the command to identify the woman in the video, rescue the child and make the suspect face the full weight of the law.
“The Domestic and Sexual Response Team, Alausa, Ikeja, also added its voice to the call for investigation with a petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police to that effect.
“The Gender Unit traced the suspect to a liquor store in Surulere and her residence at Aguda. The boy was rescued and taken to a secure shelter. The suspect admitted that she was the one in the viral video flogging the child with belt, but she denied locking the survivor in a cage with dogs. That she only locked him in an empty dog kennel where bags are kept.
“She claimed to have locked up the boy for a few hours before bringing him out. She alleged that the boy took a hot drink in their refrigerator and was misbehaving. That the boy smashed the side mirror of her Toyota Camry with stone which made her detain him in the kennel.
“Investigation revealed that the boy lost his parents and was brought to Lagos in 2012 from Anambra State by the mother of the suspect along with his two siblings. The suspect and the survivor are cousins.
“The suspect’s mother is the elder sister of the survivor’s father. The suspect will be charged to court.”
