The Imo State Police Command has arrested a man identified as Lucky Adim for allegedly using an electric cable to inflict multiple injuries on his 10-year-old daughter, Confidence Adim, in Owerri.
Adim was arrested on Friday following a petition by the Stand for Humanity Foundation, a human rights organisation, after the injured child was brought to the group for assistance.
The President of the foundation, Chidiebube Okeoma, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the girl and her two younger siblings were rescued from the streets by concerned Nigerians and taken to the organisation.
Okeoma said the foundation subsequently petitioned the Owerri Urban Divisional Police Headquarters, urging the police to investigate the alleged abuse, arrest the suspect and prosecute him.
According to him, the police later arrested Adim, who allegedly admitted to assaulting his daughter.
He said the foundation took the victim to the Police Hospital in Owerri for medical treatment, while her two younger siblings were placed in an orphanage in the city for temporary care.
Okeoma added that the organisation was responsible for the victim’s medical expenses and would continue to pursue the matter through the appropriate legal channels.
The child-rights advocate urged the police to prosecute the suspect, stressing that child abuse should not be treated as a private family matter.
He said child abuse was a constitutional issue punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as applicable in Imo State.
The foundation called for the suspect to be arraigned, saying the prosecution would serve as a deterrent to parents who abuse their children under the belief that such acts are permitted by law.