By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Actions and reactions have continued to trail the cruelty of two ladies who were seen in a viral video brutally assaulting a teenage girl in Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident, which reportedly happened in recent days, has drawn intense public condemnation following the surfacing of a footage capturing the moment the victim was severely subjected to prolonged physical assault by the suspects who appeared unrestrained as they unleashed violence on her in the full glare of onlookers, some of whom neither intervened nor attempted to stop the attack.
Although the full reason for the brutal assault and the details of the victim’s relationship with the suspects still remain sketchy, information from netizens suggests that the victim was attacked because she was alleged to have said that one of the suspects’ child looked slim and malnourished.
This reportedly infuriated the lady and she descended on her together with the other accomplice, brutalizing and warning her to learn how to mind her own business and stop talking about her baby.
This was corroborated by video of the incident which has gone viral on social media showing the ladies as they jointly assaulted the victim.
In the video, the two young women were seen mercilessly beating the young girl with canes and with their bare hands, while some people were watching and making videos of them, giving them cane and objects to support the beatings, and even providing suggestions on how best to brutalize her.
The suspects were also overheard in the video throwing countless punches, slaps, and questions at the victim as they brutalized her, including questions about what the said little child (identified as Kosi) did to her that warranted her to say he looks malnourished, and what gave her the guts to discuss things about them with someone else.
According to sources from the community, the two young women, who told the spectators to video the beatings, still went ahead to proudly post the videos on social media thereafter, proudly showcasing and boasting of how they brutalized the victim and “taught her the lessons of her life.”
The sources said the video and the report, which triggered a chain of reactions on social media consequently led to the tracking and the arrest of the suspects by local security operatives in Umueri who also reportedly handed them over to the police. The community sources also shared the pictures of the arrested suspects as they were seated on a bare floor.
Confirming the development in a statement issued to newsmen on Wednesday, the Anambra State Police Command, however, noted that only one of the suspects, identified as Chidimma Ogugua (aged 19 years) has been arrested and is currently in custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the second suspect who is still at large.
The Command, in the statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, condemned the act in strong terms, describing it as cruel, inhuman, and a clear violation of the law, while also calling on members of the public to remain calm, further assuring that justice would be served.
The statement partly read: “Preliminary investigations reveal that the victim was subjected to physical abuse following a disagreement. The Command strongly condemns the act, describing it as cruel, inhuman, and a clear violation of the law.
“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, reassures the public that justice will be served and reiterates the Command’s commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals, especially vulnerable persons.
“The Command further urges anyone with useful information that could aid the ongoing investigation or lead to the arrest of the fleeing suspect to come forward, assuring that such information will be treated with utmost confidentiality.”
As at the time of filing this report, the condition of the victim remains unclear, even as many continue to demand justice and stronger deterrent measures against such acts.
Watch the video of the incident below:
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