Rivers woman arrested for bathing teenager with pepper

A woman identified as Jessica has been arrested by the police in Rivers State for allegedly stripping and inserting pepper in the private parts of a teenager who was allegedly defiled by her husband in the Rukpokwu area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

Narrating the incident, the girl’s mother, who gave her name simply as Goodness, said she was at her workplace on Sunday evening when she received a call that her neighbour (Jessica) was molesting her daughter.

The traumatised woman stated that before she arrived home, some neighbours had rescued her daughter from Jessica.

The mother of the victim said the wife of her neighbour identified as Ebuka accused her of sleeping with her husband hence her action.

The woman said, “My neighbour raped my daughter and ran away. So, his wife was looking for my daughter. I asked the wife what the matter was but she said nothing.

“Unfortunately, she came yesterday, deceived the girl, took her to her house, beat her up and put pepper all over her body and her private parts. Even while I was at my shop, people called me that my daughter was dying of a beating from my neighbour’s wife.

“So, I ran home and saw her crying, with pepper all over her body. I asked what happened and she narrated how Ebuka’s wife beat her.

“She accused my daughter of sleeping with her husband and that is why she beat her and put pepper on her body.”

The distraught woman said she immediately went to the Rumuokoro Police Station in Obio/Akpor LGA and got the neighbour’s wife arrested.

On how the girl was defiled, the woman said, “Upon interrogation, her daughter revealed that on Christmas Day, a female neighbour who is a friend to Jessica took her to her house.

“Minutes later, Jessica’s husband, Ebuka, sent the wife and her friend on an errand. As Ebuka’s wife went out with her friend, Ebuka bounced on her and allegedly raped her after threatening to deal with her if she refused.

“After he was done, he let my daughter go though she did not tell me because of the threat. Nobody has seen Ebuka since that day.”

Meanwhile, a rights group, Centre for Basic Rights Protection And Accountability Campaign, has condemned the alleged torture of the teenager, describing it as inhuman.

The National Coordinator of the group, Prince Wiro, on Monday, stated, “We have interacted with the teenager and even saw the bruises and wounds on her body.

“We demand a thorough investigation by the Police. The police should make a concerted effort to bring the suspect, the woman’s husband to answer for the allegation against him and anybody found culpable in the investigation should be made to face the law.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she would find out from the Divisional Police Officer and get back to our reporter.

She had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report on Monday evening.