Awka – A forty-year old woman, Rejoice Raymond, who was accused of locking up and torturing 3 children at Federal housing estate, 3-3 Onitsha, Anambra State, has denied that she illegally acquired the children.
At the State Police Headquarters, Amawbia, where she was paraded on Thursday, the suspect also denied allegations she uses children for rituals.
The Anambra State Police Command had paraded the suspect, and her 80 year old mother, Chidi Felicia Nwafor, allegedly involved in acts of assault and attempted murder of three children at the federal housing estate 3-3 Onitsha Anambra State.
Parading the suspects, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Haruna Mohammed said the suspects, both natives of Umunya in Oyi local Government Area, had confined the three children, two boys and a girl in different rooms at number 13 Akunwata Mbamalu street federal housing estate Onitsha.
The police Public relations officer who lamented the high level of inhuman treatment meted out to the children, revealed that the children were seen in the pool of their blood with injuries all over their bodies, while the girl whose hand was broken is still receiving treatment in a hospital.
He said exhibits recovered from the scene of the incident include fetish substances, blood stained canes, concoctions and other incriminating items.
According to Mr Mohammed, the investigations revealed that the three children were allegedly sold to the suspects by one Sabina Izuorah who is now at large, who the Command had already declared wanted.
But according to the suspect, Rejoice Raymond, she legally adopted the children through one Sabina Izuora, working with Social Welfare Department of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.
“The two were brought by Sabina Izuora at the cost of three million, fifty thousand naira. She also gave me the legitimate papers backing the transaction. I had to deal with her because she works with government,” she explained.
On the brutal cuts on the children’s bodies, the suspect said she was trying to discipline them as the two male children were sexually harassing the female child.
“The boys at their age were already putting their penis inside the small girl and the girl will be shouting that she is ‘enjoying the thing.’ When I noticed this, I informed the said Mrs Izuora for a change but she said that she does not give birth to children,” she narrated.
The suspect denied any wrongdoing, saying she followed all required processes before adopting the children.
When TNC queried what she was doing to be able to muster the amount to buy the children, the suspect became violent, saying that what was being investigated was the children and not her source of livelihood.
Reacting to the suspect’s claims she legally adopted from her Ministry, the Commissioner for Women and Children’s Affairs, Lady Ndidi Mezue, said all the documents provided by the suspect were forged.
