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The police in Abia State have arrested a 35-year-old woman, Nwoko Gift, after a disturbing video circulated on Facebook allegedly showed her assaulting her 12-year-old niece with a kitchen knife in Umuahia.
The police said the suspect would be charged with attempted murder after investigations are concluded.
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Maureen Chinaka, the police spokeswoman, disclosed this in a statement posted on her Facebook page on Monday
Police account
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that Ms Gift, who hails from Ehimembano in Imo State but resides at IBB Housing Estate in Umuahia, allegedly attacked her niece, Ebo Chimamanda, on 5 July after the girl reportedly failed to spread clothes before the suspect left for the market.
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The police said the victim lived with her aunt and that investigations further revealed the suspect had “repeatedly beaten and had been threatening to kill” the child before the latest incident.
Ms Chinaka, a deputy superintendent of police, said operatives from the World Bank Divisional Police Headquarters responded to actionable intelligence, rescued the girl, arrested the suspect and recovered the kitchen knife allegedly used during the assault.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation, she added.
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“The suspect will be charged for attempted murder upon conclusion of investigation,” the statement said.
The police condemned the incident and urged residents to report similar cases to the nearest police station.
Disturbing video
The arrest followed the circulation of a 119-second Facebook video showing the alleged assault.
In the footage, the visibly terrified girl lies helplessly on the floor while Ms Gift sits on top of her, repeatedly striking and threatening her with what appears to be a kitchen knife.
The girl screams uncontrollably and repeatedly begs for mercy as the assault continues, heightening the distressing nature of the scene.
At one point, an unidentified voice asks in Pidgin, “Who de video am?” while the assault continues.
Moments later, a man enters the scene, grabs Ms Gift’s hand and succeeds in taking the knife away from her.
Before the confrontation ends, Ms Gift is heard saying, “Stupid girl!” She puts on her slippers and later retrieves the knife from the man.
The video triggered widespread outrage on social media, with many users calling for justice and stronger protection for children against abuse.
Legal implications
The Nigerian Constitution and criminal laws protect the right to life and the dignity of every person, including children.
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Section 33(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) guarantees every person’s right to life, making any unlawful attempt to take another person’s life a grave offence.
Section 34(1)(a) also guarantees the right to the dignity of the human person and prohibits torture, inhuman or degrading treatment. The alleged assault, if established in court, could amount to conduct prohibited under this constitutional provision.
Beyond the Constitution, attempted murder is a criminal offence under Nigeria’s criminal law. A conviction for attempted murder attracts life imprisonment, although the specific sentence ultimately depends on the applicable law, the circumstances of the offence and the court’s findings.
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