NAWOJ, NHRC call for arrest of father who assaulted two-month old baby, broke arm for disturbing his sleep in Imo

The Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) have called for the arrest and prosecution of a middle-aged man, Confidence Amatobi, for allegedly assaulting his two-month old son and breaking his arm which led to its amputation.

Amatobi was said to have assaulted the baby named Miracle for crying and disturbing his sleep which led to the amputation of the fractured arm.

The groups, at a joint press conference in Owerri on Monday, called on the Imo State Government and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately wade into the matter and ensure Amatobi does not evade justice.

The State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Dr. Dorothy Nnaji who spoke to journalists after visiting the amputated boy and his mother at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, disclosed that the injury inflicted by the 31-year-old father, a native of Amurie in Isu Local Government Area of the state, led to the amputation of the little boy’s right hand.

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Nnaji disclosed that the baby’s mother told her Amatobi repeatedly hit the baby with a plastic object to stop him from crying until the right hand broke

“How cruel can a father be to assault his innocent child simply because he was crying and disturbing his sleep?

“The attack on the little boy is the height of child abuse and we demand justice for the baby since he can’t speak for himself,” she said.

Narrating how the incident happened, the mother of the baby, Favour Chikwe, said she had left Miracle with his father on Friday, October 7, 2022, to use the convenience, when the incident happened.

Favour said she overheard her baby crying uncontrollably and had to rush back to know the cause, only for her to discover that his right hand was swollen and bone broken from the beating he received from his father.

“Upon noticing that he has broken the baby’s hand, he used sticks and rubber bands to bind the broken bones together.

“When l confronted him about what he did, he locked us in the room to prevent me from telling people about his wicked deed or seek for help. He also collected my phone from me so that I will not call the neighbours.”

She said when she managed to take the baby to hospitals in the community, they were rejected as the fractured arm was already decaying, till she took him to the FMC, Owerri, where the amputation was done.

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