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• Woman paraded naked with strange substance poured in her private part cries out, says she’s been battling strange ailments
• Stigma may not allow her 5 daughters get married
From Magnus Eze, Abakaliki
CP Ogbodo of Ebonyi Command
The story of Mrs. Paulina Ogbonna of Amaewuzu, Amaeze in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, is heartrending, a moving tale of cruelty, dehumanisation, degradation, stigmatisation, abandonment and pity.
She was battling with the problem of not giving birth to a male child in her now 24 years of marriage when, according to her, some members of Ngwongwo community in the local government, compounded her woes.
Married to a man from Amaechara, Ngwongwo community since 2000, she gave birth to only five female children. In her words, this became a problem in the marriage with domestic violence becoming the order in their home.
As the situation worsened, her family came to her rescue by taking her out of the husband’s house to their own place. She left some of her property in the husband’s house while moving to the parents’ place. She then, sent her brother to go and carry some of the items including a water tank. The man in the process mistakenly carried another person’s tank.
Paulina, who is a tricycle rider, told Saturday Sun that some members of the Ngwongwo community accused her of stealing and immediately began to torture her.
She disclosed that she was stripped naked with items tied to her body and paraded around some communities in the area after some suspected chemical substances were poured in her private part by her tormentors.
She said the torture caused her severe sickness while she battled with the stigmatisation since after the incident.
Paulina alleged that the culprits inflicted grievous bodily injuries on various parts of her body including face, eyes, legs, head, hands, trunks, breasts, vagina and anus.
She noted that her greatest fear now is that her five girls may not get married because of the stigma and shame her torturers brought to her.
“I am a female tricycle operator who carries goods for people for a living. I carry goods like bags of cement, rods; all kinds of load for people. I am from Amaeze by birth but married at Amaechara Ngwogwo community Ishiagu in Ivo LGA of Ebonyi State. I am having an issue with my husband because I don’t have a male child.
“I have five female children without any boy. Because of that, every day it’s one problem or the other, I don’t know if am the one impregnating myself. So, on October 22, 2020, my people decided that I should come back to my father’s house with my children for safety, at least for some time, instead of being beaten every day with or without any slightest provocation.
“Having returned to my father’s house, I sent my younger brother, Jideofor, to go and bring my Gee Pee tank from my husband ‘s house with the aid of my tricycle. The boy went and mistakenly carried my neighbour’s tank.
“Then some youths stopped him that very night and called me, enquiring if I was the one that sent my brother to carry the tank and I answered in affirmation. Then the youths said I should come and claim my tricycle and the tank the following morning.
“So, on 23rd October, I went to claim my things only to discover that my brother actually carried my neighbour’s tank not mine. My own is the long one while the one he carried is the big round one. On noticing what happened, the youths didn’t allow me make any comment, they said they have been looking for such opportunity.
“They started beating me, accusing me of stealing somebody’s tank. I kept shouting telling them it was a mistake from my brother that my own is still in the compound, but they were not interested in hearing me out.
“Some of these boys that were arrested insisted they didn’t want to hear me utter any word. Police in the area wanted to intervene but they threatened to kill any of them that came around.
“One Inspector Chioma and others around ran for their lives, because the youths are too violent and can do anything. I’m alive today by the miracle of God. They started beating me that day from 7am when I went to carry my Keke and look for daily bread till around 4pm, stripped me naked, paraded me from their community to another community,” she narrated in tears.
The woman alleged that since the torture, she started suffering pile and has been going from one hospital to another from 2021 till now, in search of a permanent cure to the ailment.
She revealed that a suspected chemical substance was poured into her private part by those that dehumanized her which has caused her some undisclosed diseases.
She continued: “To further defile me traditionally, they tied four tubers of yam around my neck, shaved my hair, forcefully inserted unknown chemical in my private part, which has caused and exposed me to all kinds of persistent diseases, including pile since then. They finally dumped me naked at the market.
“Thanks to one of our stakeholders, Fabian Chukwu, he picked my unconscious body and went to the hospital where I spent many months at his expense.
“Towards the end of 2021 when I was discharged from the hospital, I noticed that the youths, after unleashing mayhem on me, also went and ransacked my house and stole my Tecno phone worth N 52,000.00 then, the cash I kept in my bag which I planned to use and purchase another tricycle because the one I was driving was getting too old was N875, 000 but I could not find it.
“They also robbed me of some of my beautiful unisex clothes. With the nature of my job, I buy and wear unisex clothes, so I couldn’t find most of them when I returned from the hospital.
“In October 2021, I went to the National Human Rights Commission seeking redress. They wrote a petition to Commissioner of Police who ordered that the suspects be arrested for prosecution before a court of competent jurisdiction.
“In the course of it, my brother that was assisting me financially died in India and it became very difficult for me to meet up with monetary demands from police to go for arrest and ensure prosecution. After my latest payment, some of the suspects were arrested last week Thursday but were immediately released on Friday on the orders of a former commissioner from the community.”
She wondered how such weighty issue that bordered on her image, integrity, emotion and even the future of her five daughters could be termed political by the former commissioner who secured the release of her attackers.
The traumatised woman cried for justice, calling on the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, the associations of female lawyers, female journalists, female lawmakers, the National Human Rights Commission, and the civil society organisations to intervene in her matter.
“I need justice. How can the former commissioner say that a case of heavy assault and humiliation of that magnitude on me was a political issue? Am I a politician? I need nothing but justice. I can no longer walk around freely in the communities because of stigmatisation. People call me a criminal. I have stayed in that marriage in that community for 20 good years, nobody had ever complained that I stole his/her property.
“My major problem and fear now is that my five female children may never get married because of that stigma, shame and traditional defilement. I need justice. I have no money to follow up this case in court to a logical conclusion.
“I want those people (suspects) to be taken to court, let the court look at the matter and decide. My children have been with me since then without any support from my husband because they are all females.
“The first one got university admission this year and my husband blacklisted her phone number because she has been calling for assistance. I’m still surprised because that day I was attacked, the youths called my husband and bought drinks for him to make merry. He was drinking without any sign of worry or objection while others unleashed mayhem on me,” she lamented.
Saturday Sun was told that the traditional ruler of Ishiagu, Moses Okafor Ngele and his cabinet had adjudicated the matter and ordered those behind the ugly incident to cleanse the woman after finding her not guilty of the offence she was accused.
Till today, the suspects who reportedly admitted guilt of the inhuman treatment, have refused to do what the traditional institution ordered them to do.
The matter was brought to the Eze-in-council of Ishiagu by one Okorie Amobi of Ngwogwo Ishiagu on December 3, 2022. Both parties consented that the Ishiagu Eze-in-council should deliberate on the matter. They further promised to abide by the ruling of the council. After attendance was taken by Ishiagu Eze-in-council, Mrs Paulina Ajah Ogbonna raised up her hand, and she was acknowledged. And she narrated the incident.
Also, addressing the Ishiagu Eze-in-council, Amobi said: “In summary, those who got Paulina beaten up, stripped her naked, snapped her in her nakedness and sent to internet were reported to the police. They were apprehended, – arraigned to court and were being prosecuted at court.
“Actually, the defendants were wrong because Paulina was innocent and never had the intention of stealing. I also blame the defendants for their impatience and mob actions towards her. I have pleaded with her to forgive them and she has accepted to forgive them, provided that they apologised to her in the presence of Ishiagu Eze-in-council.”
The matter was adjourned to December 31, 2022, where the traditional ruler ruled that the woman was innocent, since the defendants admitted before him and his cabinet that they acted on wrong information.
“Mrs Paulina Ajah Ogbonna shall be compensated in line with the custom and tradition of Ishiagu Ancient Kingdom as Ishiagu custom and tradition demands in respect of such matter.
“Therefore, the Ishiagu custom and tradition called “Igbuju-Ehu” is hereby awarded to Mrs Paulina Ajah Ogbonna and shall be performed by the defendants,” the monarch stated.
It was gathered that the items required for the traditional cleansing were estimated at about N495,000, then.
But unfortunately, two years after, the suspects were yet to abide by the ruling. Therefore, Paulina has petitioned the State Commissioner of Police, Augustina Ogbodo through her lawyer, Arochukwu Paul Ogbonna.
In the petition dated April 8, 2024, a copy of which was obtained by Saturday Sun, the woman said she had been physically, mentally and emotionally broken and devastated and that her general health conditions were worsening.
According to her, she had become more traumatised through the injuries the culprits inflicted on her vagina which has been discharging fluid and blood, and the one inflicted on her anus and other parts of her body which resulted to pile and other health problems.
She explained that she cannot walk long distances or freely carry heavy things as she has become physically and emotionally unhealthy as a result of the injuries.
She urged the Commissioner of Police to use her good office to restore her dignity and that of her family. She also sought police protection while calling for the restitution of her property.
Paulina further enjoined the police boss to bring the culprits to book.
