A woman brutalized a 12-year-old boy for what he did not do
In Akure, Ondo State, a man called Mr. Sunday Danladi resides with his family. He doesn’t have a profitable job and his business seemed to go bankrupt due to the rural issues. In Nigeria, there’s this traditional norm where families who live in rural areas give out their child(ren) to a family living in a suburban or urban areas to give services as a househelp or servant; and in return, their master takes good care of the child, feeds the child and sponsor the child to get proper education for a futuristic purpose. Mr. Sunday has four children and life seems unfair to them, so he thought of giving his first son, Joel, who is 12 years old to the family of Mrs. Owoyemi.
Being such a young boy, he really did not have the say because he felt his parents indeed have better plans for his future and trusted everything his parents told him. Before leaving, his parents warned him to be a good boy and of good service with the family.He did his best in giving good services to the family. He is in charge of cleaning the house, taking care of Mrs. Owoyemi’s children, assisting in cooking and doing house chores; while incorporating all these with his personal life.After several months of living with the family, he began to have regrets. He no longer likes the way he was being treated. He was being isolated. He wasn’t fed properly and only ate malnourished food. They give him spoilt food and remains to feed on. He wasn’t taken care of, no food, no cloth, and is forced to sleep on the bare floor.He was treated like a slave. His family back home didn’t know what was going on, and he didn’t have access to communicate with them. If he begs his Madam for her phone to call his family, she never gives him and warned him never to call his family without her consent.
The bullying and maltreatment had gone on for several months, but he kept enduring. He was fed up and so sad.On this fateful day, 6th February, 2022, the boy was sent to the rural market alone to go buy foodstuffs for the house. He was fed that morning, but he still went to the market and got everything asked of him to buy. When he got back home, the family had eaten breakfast and didn’t remain any for him. Mrs. Owoyemi then told hum to prepare the foodstuffs for cooking lunch and dinner. He did everything even while being so hungry.By noon, the food was ready, Mrs. Owoyemi dished the food for the family and gave everyone meat except Joel. Joel didn’t complain, the hungry boy ate his food without worrying about the meat because it was normal to him, he usually doesn’t get meat from her. After one hour when everyone were done eating, the woman wanted to get another plate of food for herself, then she realised that one meat was missing.He called Joel, and without asking questions accused Joel of stealing the meat. Joel tried to explain himself that he wasn’t the one, before Joel could utter a word, the woman had slapped Joel multiple times. The woman didn’t give Joel a chance to speak, she took the kitchen knife and began to hit Joel mercilessly.
Joel shouted and pleaded that he wasn’t the one who took the meat but her son. The woman got more infuriated, claiming that Joel is a bad influence to her children, and have committed a crime and then, lied on her child. She got angrier and beat the boy blindly with the sharp knife, leaving deep cuts and bruises on the boy’s body. Joel fell unconsciously on the floor crying and screaming for help. At this point, he was bleeding and weakened, he couldn’t move.The neighbours hearing the cry of this young boy began to wonder what was going on and why the boy is screeching that way. Some said that is usually how the boy cry everyday, that the woman, Mrs. Owoyemi, beats the boy everyday and they are tired of talking and complaining.After some while, the neighbours didn’t hear the voice of the boy again, they sensed something was wrong and immediately surrounded the building. The then realised that this woman has beat this innocent boy to an unconscious state with a knife leaving him with harmful injuries from his head to his toe. Immediately, the neighbors complained of such inhumane act.
Some insulted the woman and began to beat up her up.They called the police on the woman for deadly act and attempt to kill Joel. The woman tried to escape but she was caught up by the villagers. The police came in after some minutes and arrested the woman. The neighbours called Mr. Sunday Danladi and reported him of what had happened to his child. Joel’s mother, on hearing the incidence, fainted. A neighbor then used his car to take Joel to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment.At the police station, it was made in the sentence that this is not the first time the boy has been at maltreatment. The neighbours reported that everyday, the boy would always complain of hunger, malnutrition, maltreatment and other severe inhumane actions towards him. While the police was questioning the boy, it was made to a realisation that the boy in question was not the person who stole the meat from the pot, but the woman’s child who stole the meat and didn’t disclose it. The boy confessed to it.The boy is currently receiving treatment and the woman in question, is in the police station receiving her punishment for child abuse and attempt to murder. The woman was charged to court, the Magistrate court sitting in Akure sentenced the 36 year old woman, Mrs. Owoyemi, 4 years and 6 months imprisonment for brutalizing 12 year old boy, Joel Sunday.
Ondo State Governor’s wife, the first lady, settled the hospital bills and other financial expenses and pleaded the people that such evil act shouldn’t happen again.The parents of the boy has come to stay with the boy and wait for the boy to regain consciousness in good health condition before going back to his family. Joel said in his confession that he has suffered a lot in the house and this is what has been going on for several months; and anytime he feels like he wants to call his family, the woman would said no. It is indeed a sad story.