Police detain woman for torturing 11-yr-old maid to death in Jos

By Ridwan Adekunle

The Police Command in Plateau State, on Thursday in Jos, confirmed the arrest and detention of a female suspect, for allegedly torturing and killing her maid, a minor identified as Margaret Joshua.

DSP Alfred Alabo, the Command’s spokesperson, who confirmed the arrest said investigation was ongoing and the suspect would soon be charged to court.

The suspect, a microbiologist in one of the research institutes in Vom, and a resident of K-Vom, Jos South Local Government Area, was said to have allegedly immersed the minor in hot water until her buttocks were severely burnt.

Investigation revealed that Ms Joshua, who hails from Kebbi State, and fleeing from insecurity in her community, was brought into Jos by a supposed helper, but took her to serve as a maid in the suspect’s home.

The suspect, a mother of two, had made a promise to enrol the victim in school, but did not do so, rather, indulged in daily beating of the girl until it resulted in her death.

It was further gathered that after the recent beating, the little girl was forced to sit in a container filled with hot water which severely burnt her buttocks and private parts.

Meanwhile, Plateau State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Grace Pam, whose office was following up on the case, said that based on the scars and wounds on the girls body, her guardians must have subjected her to series of torture during the period she stayed with them.

“Our attention was called about the situation on Monday, by a staff of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), who said that an 11-year-old girl had been seriously beaten up and injured by her guardian

“On getting to the hospital we saw several old and new scars, and injuries on her entire body. We were told that she was taken to Mandela hospital in K-Vom, but was referred to JUTH due to the severity of her wounds.

“When we met the suspect at the police station where she was initially detained, she claimed that the girl used to masturbate, and so she was beating her to serve as punishment to make her stop.

“She claimed she did not know what used to come over her each time she beat the girl because she quickly regrets it after the act.

“The suspect also claimed that the deceased fell into hot water after which she ran out of the house and did not return for almost 24 hours later,” she said.

Mrs Pam explained that the NHRC however, gathered that someone saw the traumatised girl on the street, and took her to the police station at K-Vom, after which she was taken to the hospital, and sadly died 24 hours later.

A neighbour to the suspect, Kaneng John, however, confirmed that it was not the first time the suspect would assault the girl.

Mrs John said concerned neighbours had on many occasions reported the suspect to the Police, and was ordered to return the victim to her parents, but she refused until she ended the girl’s life.