Residents of Olufowobi Street, Ketu, Lagos, were thrown into confusion
after an eight-year-old girl, Amarachi Abakwam, was found tied up and
brutalised under the bed of a policeman attached to Police Mobile Force 22.
It was learnt that the policeman, Augustine
Gbuchenge, with Force number 400823, lived in the same compound with Amarachi’s
family.
The father of the victim, Patrick, told PUNCH Metro that on the fateful day he had been looking
everywhere for his daughter until they discovered her under Gbuchenge’s bed.
Patrick said, “Last Thursday, I returned from work around 7.30pm and met
my children and wife outside. There was power failure on that day so everywhere
was dark. I asked after Amarachi but my wife said she was probably in our
apartment sleeping.
“I was not satisfied with this explanation because my children don’t
usually sleep early. When I went up, I did not see my daughter so we started
asking around. Some little children in the compound then told me that Gbuchenge
had called my daughter earlier to help him buy akara.
“I went to the policeman’s room to challenge him but he denied seeing my
daughter so we continued looking everywhere. After sometime, the whole compound
got involved in the search and all clues pointed to the policeman.”
Patrick said that
that he and the other neighbours challenged Gbuchenge again and an argument
ensued.
He said Gbuchenge immediately stood up and threatened to go and tell his
colleagues at the Ketu Police Division that he was being wrongly accused of
abduction.
“Some moments later, I also stood up and headed for the police station
to go and report the matter thinking I would meet the policeman there as well
but I did not. After reporting the matter, a police corporal accompanied me
back to my house,” Patrick said.
It was learnt that when they returned to the house, Gbuchenge was
nowhere to be found and his room was locked.
“We were able to beam a torchlight through his window where we saw my
daughter’s legs pointing out from under the bed,” Patrick said.
Neighbours were said to have rallied around and broken Gbuchenge’s door
open.
It was learnt that when the little girl was finally
pulled out from under the bed, she was bound by her hands and feet while a
piece of cloth had been stuffed in her mouth.
Amarachi was said to have been bleeding profusely as she had sustained a
broken skull.
She was subsequently taken to Gbagada General Hospital but due to the
severity of her wound, she was referred to the Lagos Island General Hospital.
On a visit to the victim at the hospital, she was seen
wearing a neck brace while her head had been bandaged.
Narrating her ordeal, Amarachi said, “On that day, he (Gbuchenge) asked
me to buy akara for him. After I returned, my mum asked me to go upstairs to do
the dishes. As I was going, the man pulled me from behind and took me into his
room.
“He then tied me up. He did not rape me. After sometime, my parents
started shouting my name and calling me, the policeman used an iron to hit me
in the head repeatedly and then pushed me under the bed and used clothes to
cover me. Under the bed, I saw little children’s clothes.
“He then turned on his generator so that even if I tried to shout, no
one would hear. After sometime, he left. I continued to hear my father’s voice
and I struggled to push my leg from under the bed. That was how they saw me and
rescued me.”
Amara described the policeman as a very friendly person who usually
bought sweets and biscuits for children in the compound. She said she was
surprised that he would do such a thing.
A neighbour, who did not identify himself, described Gbuchenge as a very
strange person who usually carried a large bag around.
“The man (Gbuchenge) has been living in this compound for over three
years. He is married with children but his family lives in Alapere, Ketu. He
has two buses but on the day of the incident, he did not bring his vehicles
home, it seems he had planned to escape on that day.
“We believe he wanted to use the girl for ritual. What were little
children’s clothes doing under the bed?”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed
the incident in a text message sent to our correspondent. She said efforts were
on to determine if the suspect was indeed a policeman.
She said, “I heard of the wicked act. MOPOL 22, which is where the
complainant claims the suspect works has been contacted. However, the commander
in charge of MOPOL 22 said there was no person with such a name or identity in
his squadron.
“Meanwhile, we have sent signals to other police departments and stations
to ascertain if the man is actually a serving policeman. The act is inhuman and
the suspect will never go unpunished.”
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Society