Residents of Igando area of Lagos State were left shocked after a couple, Paul Onyeama and Adline Ogbonna, were accused of causing the death of their 10-year-old adopted daughter after allegedly subjecting her to repeated abuse.
The tragic incident happened on Sunday on Jemesi Papa Street, where the couple lived with the child identified as Faith.
Neighbours said the girl had allegedly suffered weeks of maltreatment in the home before her death. Residents claimed she was regularly beaten, overworked and sent on difficult errands despite her young age.
According to people in the area, Faith had also been ill for about two weeks, but the alleged mistreatment did not stop.
A resident, Adekunle Taofeek, said the situation reached a tragic end on Sunday when the couple allegedly beat the girl severely even while she was sick.
He said neighbours had watched the child endure abuse for some time and were disturbed by what they saw.
Taofeek explained that after the beating, the girl later died.
According to reports, the couple then rushed her to a hospital, where medical workers confirmed that she was already dead when she arrived.
The development angered many residents in the area, especially youths who had been aware of the alleged abuse.
The woman was reportedly first apprehended by members of the community.
Another resident, who did not want his name mentioned, said the husband had left the house earlier and was allegedly trying to get a tricycle to move the child’s body before he was also stopped and held by local youths.
The resident said neighbours became suspicious because the child had not been seen and the couple appeared to be behaving as though nothing had happened.
According to the source, residents raised the alarm and later discovered that the girl had died inside the house.
Many in the community believe that if the body had been quietly removed, the circumstances surrounding the child’s death might never have become known.
The matter was then reported to the Igando Police Division.
Police officers later arrived at the scene, arrested the couple and recovered the child’s body.
A police source said the suspects claimed during questioning that the child had been sick and died while receiving treatment at a hospital.
However, preliminary findings reportedly showed that the child had died before being taken to the medical facility.
The source added that the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation.
Taofeek also said he personally contacted the doctor at the hospital where the child was taken.
According to him, the doctor confirmed that the girl was brought in dead.
He said the community would continue to follow the case to ensure justice is done.
Attempts to get official comments from the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not answered at the time of filing the report.
The sad incident has again raised concerns over child abuse, adoption monitoring and the safety of vulnerable children in homes across the country.
Authorities are expected to continue investigations into the circumstances surrounding Faith’s death.
