Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke
The 13-year old house help, Uduak Akpan who reportedly jumped down from a two-storey building to evade punishment for alleged stealing has confessed she was not pushed down by anybody.
According to the Immediate past Commissioner for Education Abia State, Mrs Ukachi Amala who handled the matter, “Akpan has confessed and denied being pushed down by Mr Igwe as alleged in the social media”, stating that she jumped from the house to escape punishment.
Addressing the issue in Umuahia, the former commissioner said the wife of the state governor, Nkechi Ikpeazu drew her attention to the incident “and we immediately resuscitated the girl and took her to hospital for treatment”.
Contrary to reports in the social media, the former Commissioner said, “We arrested the woman and the man was not on the run. The girl has confessed that nobody pushed her down.
“The man is from Imo State and the victim is from Akwa Ibom”, adding that the Imo State First Lady, Mrs Uzodima has contacted Mrs Ikpeazu over the matter.
According to her, the victims paternity is in doubt, adding “it took her one week to confess”.
“She threw herself down to avoid punishment and she said she lied to avoid punishment”, Mrs Amala disclosed.
Amala said the girl was lucky to have landed with her legs, and sustained injuries at her neck due to the landing force.
The commissioner said Will will soon be rejoining her mother.
The commissioner said the state is child-friendly and sees child abuse as “wickedness from hell”.
“Abia says no to violence against the child”, she warned
It would be recalled that on the 8th of January, 2021, at 204, Niger Stone, on Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, near Ariaria Market, Aba, Abia State, Miss Akpan who lived with a businessman, Emeka Igwe, and his wife, Aniekan jumped down from the storey building.
This was said to be a desperate action after she was accused of stealing N500 from the house and allegedly “subjected to serious beating by Mr Igwe and his wife”.
