Posted by Sun News Publishing on
When three-year-old Blessing Ephraim grows old and sees the scars on her feet and hands, she would likely agree with the Bible that the heart of man is desperately wicked.
On August 4, Blessing's step-father, simply identified as Uche, a commercial motorcycle operator, beat her to a state of coma and taking her for dead, allegedly put her body into a sack and dumped her in a nearby refuse dump.
According to Daily Sun investigations, the girl had been at the centre of incessant quarrels between Uche and her mother, Esther at their Osiri Road residence.
Uche's hatred for the little girl reached the climax on that fateful day when he allegedly locked her inside the house while he attended to some other things outside. The girl's had gone out then,
Upon his return, Uche was infuriated that Blessing defecated in the house and in a fit of rage used an iron rod to beat the girl until she collapsed.
Afraid that the little girl was dead, he carefully wrapped her inside a sack bag and dropped her in a refuse dump close to their home.
However, neighbours who had been observing the maltreatment of Blessing, traced her body to the refuse dump and commenced efforts to revive her.
According to eyewitness accounts, pepper was put in her eyes and anus to make her come back to life, but all to no avail.
Determined to revive her, a fire from a kerosene stove was used to burn her feet and hands until she regained consciousness.
Satisfied that she was out of the coma, the neighbours reported the incident to the Ekeki Police station and policemen stormed the house to arrest Uche. By then, he had bolted.
Blessing's mother, Esther, one aged woman who came visiting and one unidentified man said to be Uche's kinsman, were arrested and taken to the Ekeki police station.
Later, Esther was released to take care of the girl at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC.
The Police Public Relations Office (PPRO), Mr. Ininbong Ibokette, who confirmed the story, said the police were on the trail of Uche and would soon catch up with him.
At the FMC Yenagoa, the girl's mother and some of her family members were seen trying to raise the N5, 000 hospital bill for Blessing to undergo proper medical attention.
In its reaction, the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) condemned the maltreatment of Blessing and called on the Police to bring to book all those found culpable in the matter.
The Coordinator of CLO in Bayelsa, Mr. Alagoa Morris, said what happened to Blessing was unacceptable and should be investigated to its logical conclusion.
He said that human life was precious and that government must assure its citizens that it was capable of protecting life and property by making sure that those found guilty in Blessing's case were punished.