Northern Nigeria Human Rights Advocates Condemns Torture Of 11-Year Old Maid By Mrs Nnaemeka Nwachukwu, Others in Plateau
Yakubu Busari
The Northern Nigeria Human Rights Advocates, a coalition of Human Rights Advocates in Northern Nigeria, condemns in totality the torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of11- year old girl, Magred Joshua by Mrs. Nneamaka Nwachuku, a microbiologist who works with NVIR Vom, Jos South Local Government, Plateau State.
Mr. Sylvester Yibis Coordinator of, NONIHRA zone 1 in a press statement made to this medium in Jos, disclosed that the victim was a survivor of insecurity in Kebbi State before she was brought to Mrs. Nneamaka Nwachuku in Plateau State.
In the same vein, the group condemns the following unfortunate human rights abuses; – The detention of Sadiya for a complete year without food, by her husband Ibrahim Yunusa Bature in Nguru Yobe state.
The victim was rescued by her mother who rushed her to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano, but unfortunately, the victim could not survive it.
The lock-up of 17 years old Khadija by her aunt in Rikkos, Jos North area of Plateau State. Said to have locked her in her house and starved her for one week, which led to malnourishment, and another 9 year old minor brought from the East was maltreated and asked to sleep in a shed meant for their goats in Rukuba road, Jos North of Plateau state.
The Killing of a United Nations Foreign Aid Worker allegedly by a Nigerian Army Personnel in Damboa, Borno States, and the wanton killings of 11 people and destruction of lives and properties of Unknown Armed groups in Bokkos and Mangu Communities of Plateau State.
Government must redesign its security architecture to protect lives and properties which is the main responsibility of the state.
The state must live up to expectations in safeguarding civilians in Nigeria Section 34(1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria prohibits acts of torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment, these practices are still the order of the day.
This aptly shows the inadequacy of Section 34(1) (a) of the Constitution and the need for specific legislation whose primary aim is to curb the use of torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment by the state and non-state actors, thereby making it a criminal offense.
This agitation for the criminalization of torture has led to the enactment of the Anti-Torture Act in 2017.
Nigeria also ratified the child rights act in 2003 and Plateau state remains one of the states in Nigeria that has domesticated the child rights law since 2005, and also established a family court that handles cases of violence against children, but the malicious and illegal trafficking of children or minors in the name of a housemaid and other forms of violence against children has been on the increase in the state.
These acts must stop and in the case of Magred Joshua, Mrs. Nneamaka Nwachukwu must face the wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to other hidden perpetrators.
NONIHRA’s team of Lawyers and paralegals has commenced independent investigations into the case and will go the extra mile to ensure proper justice administration on this matter.
