A disturbing case of child abuse has emerged from Ohii in Owerri, Imo State, where a 13-year-old girl, Favour Nuhu, was allegedly brutalized by her guardian, leading to the complete disfigurement and loss of vision in her right eye. The minor, originally from Kaduna State, is currently receiving urgent medical care at the State University Medical Centre in Owerri, following her rescue by a local human rights organization.
The rescue operation was led by the Stand For Humanity Foundation, whose founder, Chidiebube Okeoma, told journalists on Friday, June 21, 2025, that they received a distress call from concerned neighbors of the girl. According to Okeoma, the child confessed to being constantly dehumanized by her guardian, Mrs. Joyce Onyinye, who allegedly used a laptop cord to whip her, inflicting the injury that damaged her eye.
Initial medical examinations revealed that Favour has lost her vision completely in the affected eye. The foundation swiftly reported the case to the Imo State Police Command, which deployed officers to locate the guardian at Green Health Estate in Ohii. However, by the time they arrived, both the suspect and the girl had left the premises—likely tipped off about the pending intervention.
Their paths crossed again at the police headquarters, where the guardian admitted to flogging the girl but denied causing the eye injury. Despite her denial, a confessional statement was recorded, and the police ordered immediate hospitalization for the minor. She was enrolled into the Imo State Health Insurance scheme for vulnerable children and referred to both the State University Medical Centre and Camel Eye Clinic for advanced care.
Authorities confirmed that Mrs. Onyinye was granted administrative bail due to her status as a nursing mother, but she remains under police surveillance and is expected to report for further investigation. Meanwhile, public outrage is mounting, with many demanding justice and stronger child protection enforcement.
Speaking to press, Okeoma condemned the growing trend of domestic child abuse, urging guardians who can no longer care for children to return them to their families instead of inflicting harm. “No child, regardless of background, deserves to be treated like this. We must protect our children from such horrors and bring perpetrators to justice,” he stated.
This case has reignited the conversation around child rights abuse in Nigeria and the urgent need for effective legislation and monitoring. As Favour begins her journey to physical and emotional recovery, calls for systemic reform and tougher legal consequences for abusers are growing louder across the country.
