THE Enugu State Government and the Nigeria Police have moved against a stepmother, Mrs Ogechi John, over the alleged killing of her nine-year-old stepdaughter.
Mrs John, originally from Oderiko in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was arrested by police on Monday morning following allegations that she beat her stepdaughter, Miss Ogechi Amanda John, to death at their Nchatancha residence in the Emene area of Enugu metropolis.
Neighbours reported that the incident allegedly took place around 3pm on Sunday. They claimed that young Amanda had been a victim of constant and ruthless maltreatment at the hands of her stepmother over a prolonged period.
The Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Enugu State, Mrs Ngozi Enih, condemned the incident and said the state government would not rest until justice was served.
“It is on record that the Governor Peter Mbah administration has zero tolerance for any form of child abuse, let alone child homicide,” Mrs Enih said. “So, we swung into action on learning about this tragedy to ensure that the suspect was arrested.
“But it doesn’t end there. We will be pressing for a thorough and expedited investigation to ensure that justice is not just done, but done really fast.
“Nobody should take another’s life and certainly not the life of any child in Enugu State. We condemn it in totality.”
