Amaka Nweke, an 18-year-old girl, has reportedly been beaten and starved to death by her parents for dating a Yoruba man which they frowned against.
According to The New Telegraph, the incident happened at Agility community in the Mile 12 area of Lagos State,
The parents were said to have taken the extreme measures, when they got to know that the Yoruba boy is also a Muslim.
Mike, the girl’s father, who denied putting his daughter through the horrendous act, said,
“Is it possible for a parent to kill his own child?” he said when questioned by newsmen.
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He was also accused of confronting residents of the community, who were vocal about the brutal torture he and his wife allegedly subjected their daughter to, the report also said.
Amaka welcomed a baby boy, who was christened Zaeed by Ibrahim Lawal, the father, before her death.
She had allegedly been seeing Lawal when she was in Senior Secondary School.
Recounting the torture the deceased was subjected to, one of the Nwekes’ neighbours identified simply as Adebola, said;
“Amaka went through a lot. She really suffered. When Amaka and Ibrahim were dating, her parents were always threatening her. They told her that they didn’t want her to continue associating with the boy. What broke the camel’s back was Amaka becoming pregnant for Ibrahim. Her parents were livid and starved her of food.
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“Whenever her parents were beating her, some of us would approach and beg them to stop. They used to beat her with different objects even while she was pregnant. Whenever her boyfriend brought food to her, they would not allow her to have access to it.
“When Amaka was delivered of her baby, her parents couldn’t afford the medical bill. They had to call on Ibrahim’s family. His family gladly paid up before the new mother was discharged from the hospital.
“After she was released from the hospital, her parents tried to prevent the husband’s family from naming their grandchild. But it took the intervention of the Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) and some elders in the area before the Nwekes released the baby to them.”
Ibrahim’s mother, Ebunola Lawal, narrated the ordeal the girl went through in the hands of her parents.
“When my son impregnated Amaka, I didn’t reject the pregnancy. I was already used to seeing them together. When it was clear to me that Ibrahim was the owner of the pregnancy, I started taking care of the girl as my daughter-in-law. I, however, noticed that whenever I go to give her foodstuff, her mother wouldn’t want her to collect it from me. I used to force her before she would collect it.
“When Amaka was in labour, her parents didn’t inform us. It was Ibrahim who saw her mother take her to hospital and alerted us. I couldn’t go to the hospital that fateful day, but the following day, Ibrahim went to the hospital to check on her and found she was delivered successfully.
“When it was time for mother and child to be discharged from the hospital, Amaka’s parents couldn’t afford the medical bill. They sent for us and we later paid the money. The parents took Amaka and the baby to their house, instead of the father’s house,” she was quoted as saying.
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Ebunola also alleged that the Nwekes refused to release the baby for naming ceremony on the 8th day.
“We went to Amaka’s house as early as 6 a.m. We begged them till noon before they finally released the baby to us with the assistance of some elders in the community.
“The parents also gave us two hours to return the baby. Two weeks after the naming ceremony, my husband and I went back to Amaka’s parents’ house to check on our grandchild, but Mrs. Nweke prevented us from seeing the baby and Amaka.
“When the pressure from her parents to stop seeing Ibrahim was becoming too much, Amaka told Ibrahim to stop coming. She said that they would be discussing on the phone. She told him that whenever he comes to visit her, her parents would pounce on her and beat her mercilessly. Mrs. Nweke didn’t like Amaka’s union with my son.
“The major issue that led to Amaka’ death started on January 1, 2020. This was after she came to our house to collect clothes for herself and the baby, to celebrate the Yuletide. A few minutes after she left our house, she called Ibrahim on the phone that her mother had started beating her for collecting the clothes and money from us. I was informed that her parents collected the baby from her and locked her in their apartment and beat her for two days.
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“It was in the process of beating her that she became unconscious. The parents rushed her to hospital in the neighbourhood and they were referred to Gbagada General Hospital, where she was confirmed dead on Sunday. When Ibrahim went to check her at the hospital, she couldn’t stand up or sit. She just lied on the bed. The most annoying aspect of it was that when they were rushing Amaka to hospital, they gave our four-months-old grandson to a neighbour, instead of bringing him to us to mind.
“When we went to collect the baby from the woman they gave him to, she refused to release him to us. But out of pressure, she eventually released him. I’ll miss Amaka; she was an easy going girl. I accepted her as my son’s wife because of her attitude. It was her parents that killed her.”
A nurse in the area, simply identified as Omotola, disclosed that the deceased sought her assistance after the beatings from her parents became unbearable.
“Amaka called me and asked that I should rescue her. She said that she didn’t want to die.
“When I didn’t see Amaka for some days, I became worried. I chatted with her up on Facebook, and she told me that she was sick due to the series of beatings she received from her parents. She told me that Ibrahim was bringing money to her to buy drugs. When I couldn’t bear it again, I went to see her. When I saw her, I noticed that her breathing was difficult and terrible. I didn’t like the way she was breathing. I went to a chemist to get her some pain-relieving drugs, which I gave to her.
“Before I left, I noticed she was not improving. I quickly called her father on the phone and urged him to take her to hospital. I even suggested taking her to the hospital I work. I heard the following day that the parents didn’t heed my advice. They didn’t take her to hospital that day. They decided to take her to the hospital the following day. I don’t know why they decided to waste the life of that poor girl. Amaka was punished until she died.”
The father, however, maintained his innocence and that of his wife.
“Is it possible for a father to kill his only daughter, I don’t beat my children. My wife is a woman of virtue; she doesn’t beat our children, she is not a wicked woman. We didn’t beat her because we saw her going to Ibrahim’s house. Everything Ibrahim’s family said was false because now I’m in mourning. I came from a Christian family. I warned my wife to stop disturbing Amaka and Ibrahim. I told my wife that if God said the union was ordained from Him, they would live together as a husband and wife. I have never disturbed them.
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“When Amaka took ill, we rushed her to two private hospitals before we were referred to Gbagada General Hospital where she died.”
When asked about Amaka’s baby, Mike said they left the baby with a neighbour in Lagos because he could not take him to Ebonyi State.
“I’m only going to Ebonyi State with Amaka’s mother and siblings.”
Bala Elkana, Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, who confirmed the incident, said they are awaiting a medical report to ascertain the cause of death.
“We are waiting for medical report to ascertain the cause of death. Investigation is still ongoing,” Bala said.
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