BY JUMAI NWACHUKWU
THE Delta State Police Command has confirmed that a report of the brutal assault on 17-year-old Samuel Onyeme has been lodged with the Command.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe disclosed that the suspects, Mr. Celestine and his two sons, are currently on the run.
Samuel, a student of Redeemers School, Asaba, was discharged from the Asaba Specialist Hospital, yesterday, after receiving treatment for severe injuries sustained during the attack. But he remains in visible pain and discomfort. The incident occurred on Sunday evening when Samuel visited his classmate, Miss Anastasia Celestine, at her residence. According to reports, while they were talking outside, Mr. Celestine and his sons allegedly dragged Samuel into their compound, beat him with wooden planks, and locked him in a dog cage for hours.
Samuel’s mother, Mrs. Onyeme, recounted the horrifying ordeal. “My son Samuel, a 17-year-old Senior Secondary (SS2) student of Redeemers International High School, Asaba, Delta State on Sunday visited his classmate, Anastasia Celestine, at her residence after she invited him. My son said they were having a discussion outside the house of Mr Celestine when he was brutally assaulted by her father, Mr. Celestine and her two brothers”, she said.
“They attacked him on the street, dragged him into their compound, and inflicted severe physical injuries on him. Looking at his head, you will see injuries. He said they used wooden planks and locked him inside a dog cage. During the assault, they confiscated his mobile phone and called me (mother) deceiving me into coming to the scene. Upon my arrival, I was deprived of seeing him for two hours”.
“My daughter, Jessica Onyeme, who was outside attempting to seek help, was also subjected to assault by members of the Celestine family when she tried to re-enter the compound. The situation escalated when my other son, Samuel’s elder brother, Mr. Ben Onyeme, contacted a family friend, who then reached out to a human rights organization that mobilised Police officers to rescue Samuel from the dog cage at around 10:00 pm that night”
In a petition addressed to the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Ojei described the assault as “inhumane and barbaric.” He called for the immediate prosecution of the suspects for offences including kidnapping, unlawful detention, assault, and attempted murder, citing violations of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Laws.
“Samuel, as a minor, is entitled to special protection under the law. The actions of Mr. Celestine and his sons contravened legal safeguards for the welfare of children,” Ojei said.
While Samuel has been discharged from the hospital, the police have intensified a manhunt to locate and apprehend the suspects. The incident has sparked widespread calls for justice and stronger enforcement of laws protecting minors.
