A 13-year-old boy, Master Ifeanyi Umoke from Inikiri Benard village in Effium community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was tied and thrown into a burning refuse dump for allegedly stealing rice in the market.
Sampson Oko Nweke, chairman, Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE), Ebonyi State chapter, who disclosed this to journalists in Abakaliki, said the perpetrators alleged that the victim was a notorious kleptomaniac.
Nweke further said that investigations revealed that the mother of young Ifeanyi was deceased, while his father was bedridden due to chronic mental illness.
According to him, the perpetrators, Messrs Paul Ifere Amah and Paul Nweke of the same village, after committing the crime, saw the critical condition of their victim, abandoned him to death.
He added: “It took the intervention of sympathisers to rush him to AMURT Hospital there in Effium. But, due to the severity of the damages, the roasted boy was declined treatment.
“Efforts were thereafter made to bring him to AE-FETHA 2 where he is currently battling between life and death.”
The statement reads: “This little boy is a 13-year-old Master Ifeanyi Umoke from Inikiri Benard village in Effium community, Ohaukwu LGA of Ebonyi State.
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“According to feelers, his mother was no more and the father, bedridden with a chronic mental illness.
“Few days ago, the Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) got a call from Mr. George Etamesor of the HRCRC over this grave abuse of this poor child.
“Because he was caught trying to steal some rice in their village market, he was tied up, thrown into burning fire in a refuse dump in the market and allowed to roast like a goat.
“The perpetrators, Mr. Paul Ifere Amah and Mr. Paul Nweke of the same village, after committing this evil, saw the critical condition of their victim, yet they abandoned him to groan to death.
“It took the intervention of sympathisers to rush him to AMURT Hospital there in Effium. But, due to the severity of the damages, the roasted boy was declined treatment.
“Efforts were thereafter made to bring him to AE-FETHA2 where he is currently battling between life and death.
“When HURIDE interviewed the perpetrators, they said; ‘Ifeanyi has been in the habit of stealing cassava, yam and others. So this time, we caught him stealing our rice and we decided to teach him a lesson so that he will not come back to steal our food again.
‘It was not our intention to burn his whole body. We only tied him up and after beating him, we tried to roast his toes in the fire, but because he was struggling, he slipped off our hands and fell into the fire and got burnt beyond our expectation.
“So far, the police have duly been communicated.”
