The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a couple following the rescue of a 15-year-old domestic worker who was allegedly locked inside a toilet at a residence in Abuloma, Port Harcourt.
PUNCH reported on September 16 that the teenager, identified simply as Amaechi and said to be from Ebonyi State, was rescued by officers from the Abuloma Police Division after the landlord became concerned that she had not been seen outside the residence for an extended period.
According to the report, the girl was allegedly kept in the toilet for weeks. Accounts surrounding her confinement include allegations that she was provided food only once daily, although those claims remain part of the circumstances the police are investigating.
Rivers Police spokesperson Blessing Agabe confirmed both the rescue and arrests, saying the girl’s family had been contacted and that she would not be returned to the household from which she was rescued.
Police said investigation was continuing, meaning criminal responsibility has not yet been determined and the arrested persons remain entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Beyond the immediate investigation, the case raises important child-protection concerns surrounding domestic labour, confinement, physical and psychological abuse and the responsibility of members of the public to report suspected mistreatment of children.
Nigeria’s child-protection framework prohibits various forms of abuse, exploitation and harmful treatment of children. Domestic work involving minors has additionally remained a recurring concern for child-rights organisations because employment relationships conducted inside private homes can make mistreatment difficult for authorities and outsiders to detect.
LegalLinkz has previously reported FIDA Nigeria’s warning that violence, exploitation and abuse involving women and children should not be treated as isolated incidents, with the organisation calling for stronger enforcement of protective laws and effective prosecution where offences are established.
In the Rivers case, the police investigation will now be important in establishing the precise circumstances of the teenager’s confinement and whether sufficient evidence exists for prosecution.
Source: PUNCH — Police Rescue Teenager Locked in Toilet, Arrest Rivers Couple
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