The Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) have called on the state government and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to without wasting much time arrest and prosecute Mr Confidence Amatobi, for allegedly breaking his 2-month-old baby’s arm for disturbing his sleep.
Mr Amatobi was said to have assaulted little Miracle’s arm for not letting him sleep. The incident led to the amputation of the affected arm.
NAWOJ, NHRC and the aggrieved mother of attacked Miracle, made the call for justice on behalf of the baby in Owerri the Imo State Capital.
Imo State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Dr Dorothy Nnaji had lamented to newsmen in Owerri after visiting the amputated boy at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, that the injury inflicted by the 31-year-old father, a native of Amurie in Isu LGA of the state led to the amputation of the little boy’s right hand.
Mrs Nnaji expressed shock that a father could be so cruel to his innocent child simply because he was losing sleep.
She disclosed that Mr Amatobi had repeatedly hit the baby with a plastic object to stop him from crying until the right hand got fractured.The chairperson demanded justice for the baby since he can’t speak for himself, saying that the attack was the height of child abuse.
Similarly, the Imo State Coordinator NHRC, Mr sUkachiUkah, while reacting to the incident also condemned the brutality called on immediate justice for the abused child.
Narrating her ordeal, the mother of Miracle, Mrs Favour Chikwe who hails from Idemili Community, Anambra State disclosed that she had left Miracle with his father on Friday, October 7, 2022, to use the convenience, when the incident happened.
Favour recalled that she overheard her baby crying uncontrollably and had to rush back to know the cause of her cry only for her to discover that his right hand was swollen and bone broken from the beating he received from his father.
Amatobi, it was learnt, confessed that the baby was disturbing him with his cry while he was sleeping and he had to try to stop him through beating.
He said: “Upon noticing that he has broken the baby’s hand, he used sticks and rubber bands to bind the broken bones together.”
She said: “When l confronted him about what he did, he locked us in the room, to prevent me from telling people about his wicked deed or seek for help. He also collected my phone from me so that I will not call the neighbours.”
She said only FMC Owerri was willing to attend to the baby by amputating the arm, as other hospitals rejected him.