Police arrest suspected child, husband abuser

The Police announced Wednesday that Ifunnanya Juliet Onyenagecha, a youth corps member and mother of 18-month-old twins, wanted for allegedly inflicting multiple teeth-bite injuries on a 7-year-old girl had been taken into custody.

Premium Times had reported Tuesday that Mrs. Onyenagecha, slipped into hiding on Easter Day after the police came looking for her at her St John’s street, Mpape, residence on the outskirts of Abuja, following the rescue of 7-year-old Amarachi (not real name). The police,  on live radio, had given her till Wednesday to turn herself in or risk being declared wanted.

Several of her neighbours, including her landlady, Gloria Justin, a civil servant, had said Mrs. Onyenagecha was constantly brutalising Amarachi. Injuries, including the most recent teeth-bite marks, all over Amarachi’s body, had forced Mrs. Justin to rescue Amarachi, as neighbours said the severity of the maltreatment of the child, since she was brought over a year ago from the village to look after her 18-month-old twin boys, was “life threatening”.

Her car-dealer husband, Chinedu,  who said Amarachi is his little cousin, had also shown this website several injury marks on his body allegedly inflicted on him by his wife in the course of their two-year marriage. After she was rescued, the Police handed Amarachi to Mr. Onyenagecha’s relations to look after her.

Police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, later said on Wednesday morning, during the Brekete Family Show, a live radio programme aired on Love 104.5 FM, that the suspect would be given “reasonable time”  to turn herself in after which the police would launch an elaborate hunt. Further Police investigations, he said, revealed Amarachi is actually Mr. Onyenagecha’s youngest sister.

“That 7-year-old girl is the last born of the husband of this lady that is at large now,” Mr. Moshood had said. “There is maternal and paternal relationship between the victim and the husband of the woman.”

By Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Moshood confirmed Mrs. Onyenagecha was in police custody but declined to give further details.

Mr. Onyenagecha however said his wife turned herself in on her own, but refused to disclose the police station where she is being detained.

Mrs. Onyenagecha did not respond to telephone calls and text messages seeking her comments for this story.