It was a story of agony in Jos on Monday 13th November 2022 when news broke about the sudden death of an 11 year old Margaret Joshua, allegedly to have died due to physical injuries inflicted on her buttocks by her guardian, Mrs Nneamaka Nwachukwu, a Microbiologist who resides in Jos.
The victim who is said to be from Kebbi state and was fleeing from insecurity in her community was brought to Jos to serve in Nwachukwu’s home by another woman. The alleged abuser, a mother of two who did not enrol the victim in any formal school, constantly indulged in daily beating of the girl until she finally died as a result of the assault.
A recent assault was when the girl was forced to sit in a bowl giving her burns injuries on her buttocks, a condition she later died on Monday 13th November 2022.
Plateau State Coordinator of National Human Rights Commission, Mrs Grace Pam, whose office is following up on the case, said 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 she was with the family.
“Our attention was called on the situation, on Monday, by a staff in the hospital, who said that an 11 year- old girl was seriously beaten and injured by her guardian 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 Jos.
When some of our staff met with the suspect 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 her”.
