Juliana Francis
A father, Mr David James Danbaba, has been arrested over alleged attempts to beat his eight-year-old son to death in Ekhaguere community of Edo State.
Residents in the community complained that Danbaba used to raise the child high and hurled him to the ground.
They were worried he would kill the child and they reported him to the Edo Civil Society Organisation (EDOCSO).
A member of EDOCSO, Leftist Dickson John Esq, who went to the community, narrated steps taken to call Danbaba to order.
He explained that on Tuesday 12th of December 2022, he and Leftist Angel Omo Ehichioya went to the community.
Dickson said: “We visited the community over the issue of violence against persons which was reported by the community against one Mr David James Danbaba. David was alleged of constant molestation of his eight years old son, inflicting severe injuries on the boy, puffing out Indian helm smoke on his face every night whenever he returns home at night, and neglecting his fatherly responsibilities.”
Dickson explained that on getting to the compound, they discovered that most neighbours came because of the meeting with the little boy.
Dickson said: “The little boy told us that his father wanted to kill him with beating daily. The injuries all over his body were evidence of what the little boy had been going through at the hands of his own father. During the interview, their neighbours lamented how David almost killed his own son on several occasions by lifting him up and slamming him against the ground like an adult which the little boy always ends up gasping for breath and fighting for his life. On some occasions, some neighbours have invited the local vigilante group to assist but David even after such intervention would still return home to continue maltreating his son. One of the elders of the community who is a chief came to the scene and was very happy that finally David had met his Waterloo and pledged to give any useful information to prosecute David for the constant molestation and maltreatment of his son. It was also said that the community had concluded plans to evict David from the community before his maltreatment of his son became a murder case.”
The human rights activist explained that they had to order the arrest of David at the Estate Gate Police Station, where he was detained after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) saw the injuries on the little boy’s body.
“The DPO immediately asked that David be locked up and the matter should be thoroughly investigated. He also asked that the little boy’s mother be contacted in any way possible. On the other hand, we had to contact the ministry which is saddled with the responsibility of gender-based violence because of the custody of the little boy. The boy was later released on bond to us in order for him to be taken to the ministry while his father was given a room self-contained apartment at the police station in order for him to cool off,” narrated Dickson,
He further said: “This morning is Thursday, December 15th, we went to Vivian Gender Based Center in the company of the TEC chairman, Leftist Austine Enabulele for thorough medical attention to be given to the little child since we were referred there by the ministry. Addressing the medical practitioner, Leftist Enabulele said that the issue of child molestation is indeed a bad omen because nobody knows what the child might grow up to become in life. However, he further vouch that EDOCSO would never relent until the last man is truly and totally free hence we would make sure that we got to the root of the matter and also make sure that the child was reunited with his biological mother while justice takes its full course. After a series of tests and treatments, we were then taken back to the ministry where the child was properly handed to the ministry as an investigation to get the child’s mother is still ongoing. The permanent secretary receiving the child thanked EDOCSO for taking the time to follow up the case to date and assured comrades that the ministry will continue to do their best on same.”
