In a shocking incident in Asaba, Delta State, a 17-year-old boy, Samuel Onyeme, was allegedly assaulted and confined in a dog cage after visiting a female classmate at her home on Sunday evening. The ordeal began around 6 p.m. when Samuel accepted an invitation from his friend to visit her residence.
Eyewitnesses reported that while Samuel and his classmate were speaking outside her house, her father and two brothers confronted him. Samuel’s mother, Mrs. Onyeme, recounted the horrifying experience, saying,
“They attacked my son on the street, dragged him into their compound, and beat him severely with wooden planks. Afterward, they locked him in a dog cage, seized his phone, and tricked me into coming to their house under false pretenses. When I arrived, they refused to let me see my son for two hours.”
In the commotion, Samuel’s sister, Jessica, was also assaulted when she attempted to seek help. The situation escalated until Samuel’s elder brother reached out to a family friend, who contacted a human rights organization. Police officers, mobilized by the activists, eventually rescued Samuel around 10 p.m.
Victor Ojei, the human rights activist who facilitated the rescue, strongly condemned the incident, describing it as “barbaric and inhumane.” In a petition to the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Ojei demanded a thorough investigation and prosecution of the girl’s father and brothers for unlawful detention, assault, and attempted murder under Nigerian law and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
The petition, also sent to the Attorney General and the National Human Rights Commission, outlined the severity of the case, noting Samuel endured four hours of confinement in a dog cage and sustained multiple physical and psychological injuries. Allegations of threats to set Samuel ablaze further escalated the gravity of the charges, amounting to attempted murder under Section 320 of the Criminal Code Act.
Samuel is currently receiving medical care for his injuries and trauma at a hospital in Asaba. Meanwhile, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe stated that no official report on the matter had been received at the time of filing this story.
