Police in Jos detain woman for torturing 11-year-old maid to death

The Police Command in Plateau State confirmed on Thursday in Jos the arrest and detention of a female suspect for allegedly torturing and killing her maid, a minor identified as Margaret Joshua.

DSP Alfred Alabo, the command's spokesperson, who confirmed the arrest, said the investigation was ongoing and the suspect would soon be charged in court.

The suspect, a microbiologist in one of the research institutes in Vom and a resident of K-Vom, Jos South Local Government Area, was said to have allegedly immersed the minor in hot water until her buttocks were severely burned.

The Supreme investigation revealed that Joshua, who hails from Kebbi State and is fleeing from insecurity in her community, was brought to Jos by a supposed helper, who took her to serve as a maid in the suspect's home.

The suspect, a mother of two, also made a promise to enroll the victim in school but did not do so, but rather indulged in daily beatings of the girl until it resulted in her death.

Supreme further gathered that after the recent beating, the little girl was forced to sit in a container filled with hot water, which severely burned her buttocks and private parts.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Grace Pam, Plateau State coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), whose office was following up on the case, said that based on the scars and wounds on the girl's body, her guardians must have subjected her to a series of tortures during the period she stayed with them.

"Our attention was called to the situation on Monday by a member of the staff of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), who said that an 11-year-old girl had been seriously beaten up and injured by her guardian.

"On getting to the hospital, we saw several old and new scars and injuries on her entire body." We were told that she was taken to Mandela Hospital in K-Vom but was referred to JUTH due to the severity of her wounds.

"When we met the suspect at the police station where she was initially detained, she claimed that the girl used to masturbate, and so she was beating her as punishment to make her stop."

"She claimed she did not know what used to come over her each time she beat the girl because she quickly regretted it after the act.

"The suspect also claimed that the deceased fell into hot water, after which she ran out of the house and did not return for almost 24 hours later," she said.

Pam explained that the NHRC, however, gathered that someone saw the traumatized girl on the street and took her to the police station at K-Vom, after which she was taken to the hospital, where she sadly died 24 hours later.

Mrs. Kaneng John, the suspect's neighbor, said that this was not the first time the suspect had assaulted the girl.

John said concerned neighbors had on many occasions reported the suspect to the police, who ordered her to return the victim to her parents, but she refused until she ended the girl's life.