A grandma has been arrested by police in Nigeria’s southern state of Rivers following reports she gave two grandchildren a peppered water bath and thereafter chained them, stripped.
She then locked up the female kids, aged 7 and 8 up like a jailor.
According to the police, the 52-year-old woman, simply called Mama Vera, gave the kids the horrendous punishment because they ate garri, a popular staple made from cassava and mixed it with sugar, like a meal without her consent.
The incident happened at Mgbuoba in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Witnesses said concerned neighbours had to break into the house when they heard the wailing children calling for help.
The police who arrested the woman is also accusing her of denying the children their rights to go to school.
A lawyer, Precious Johnmark, who also witnessed the incident is calling on the Rivers State Police Command and the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, to follow the case and ensure the prosecution of Mama Vera for allegedly violating the rights of the girls.
