Police Arrest Father For Starving, Locking Up Son (Photos)

A man identified as Wisdom has been arrested by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly maltreating, starving and locking up his two-year-old son in a dark room.

Information gathered has it that the victim identified as Zino have been maltreated by his father and stepmother at No. 113 Okumagba Avenue, Off Deco Road, Warri, Delta State.

The Director-General, Young Nigerian Rights Organization, Comrade Victor Ojei, who spoke with Punch on Sunday in Asaba disclosed that the under-age child was allegedly molested by the father and stepmother.

He said, “Zino is a two-year-old child whom the biological mother dropped with his biological father and stepmother at No. 113 Okumagba Avenue. Since then the father and stepmother have been giving this child all sorts of maltreatment and starvation.”

“They lock him up in a dark room and beat him up when he receives help from neighbours. Neighbours now are afraid so they don’t end up killing him.”

“Police from B Division station Sunday morning arrested the father, Mr Wisdom. We are also taking him to a family court before the end of this week. The infant is now hospitalized at Warri.”

“I commended all the people that assisted us to ensure that the man was arrested.”

The Executive Assistant on Girl Child to the Governor of Delta State, Barrister Bridget Anyafulu, said that Delta state government is implementing the child right law, adding that the welfare of any child in the state remains paramount.

“The child is in the hospital right now receiving treatment. No payment will be made under 0-5 free medical programme of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.”

“We don’t want to hear that a child is suffering anywhere even if the child is living with the stepmother. It is the duty of that stepmother to be a good caregiver to that child,” she explained.