A 21-year-old, Helen Avwerosuo Obi Orijiji, with dreams of a better future, now faces a grim reality—her life hangs in the balance after being exchanged in marriage to settle her late father’s debt.
Helen, a native of Sapele in Delta State, saw her world turn upside down after her father’s death. Unable to repay a lingering debt owed to 70-year-old Ochuko Umukoro, her family was forced to give her away in marriage as a form of settlement.
Her nightmare deepened when she was compelled to endure Umukoro’s relentless sexual demands and attempts to resist or voice her plight led to punishment—her phone was confiscated by the man she was forced to call her husband, cutting her off from her family and any hope of help.
Meanwhile, Umukoro did not stop at his inhumaneness towards the girl when he brought a doctor to circumcise her forcefully and when she refused due to the excruciating pain, even as he threatened to take her far away where nobody would hear her screams.
The cruelty didn’t end there as Umukoro escalated his abuse by bringing in a doctor to circumcise Helen forcefully. When she resisted, unable to bear the pain, he threatened to take her far away to a place where no one could hear her screams, plunging her deeper into fear and helplessness.
According to a police report, Helen seized a fleeting chance to escape her tormentor under the cover of night. She ran back to her family, pouring out her harrowing ordeal at the hands of Ochuko. Fearing that he would come after her, her brother swiftly whisked her away to Abuja, desperate to protect her from further harm.
Their fears were soon confirmed when Ochuko came searching for Helen, threatening to kill her mother if she didn’t reveal her whereabouts. Forced to speak under duress, Helen’s mother disclosed her location but quickly warned Helen, alerting her that Ochuko was on his way to Abuja to find her.
‘’Her mother informed her that Ochuko Umukoro came in search of her the next day at her family house and threatened to arrest her mother if she did not provide her (Helen). From reliable information, she learned that Ochuko has left for Abuja in search of her’’ the statement said.
With her mother’s warning fresh in her mind and fully aware of Ochuko’s brutality, Helen faced an agonizing decision. Desperate to escape his clutches, she chose to flee Nigeria by road, seeking refuge elsewhere where she hopes to find safety from his inhumanity and begin rebuilding her shattered life.
