Residents of Olufowobi Street, Ketu, Lagos, were thrown into confusion after an eight-year-old girl, Amarachi Abakwam, was found tied up and brutalised under the bed of a policeman attached to Police Mobile Force 22.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the policeman, Augustine Gbuchenge, with Force number 400823, lived in the same compound with Amarachi’s family.
The father of the victim, Patrick, said that on the fateful day he had been looking everywhere for his daughter until they discovered her under Gbuchenge’s bed.
Patrick said, “Last Thursday, I returned from work around 7.30pm and met my children and wife outside. There was power failure on that day so everywhere was dark. I asked after Amarachi but my wife said she was probably in our apartment sleeping.
“I was not satisfied with this explanation because my children don’t usually sleep early. When I went up, I did not see my daughter so we started asking around. Some little children in the compound then told me that Gbuchenge had called my daughter earlier to help him buy akara.
“I went to the policeman’s room to challenge him but he denied seeing my daughter so we continued looking everywhere. After sometime, the whole compound got involved in the search and all clues pointed to the policeman.”
Patrick said that he and the other neighbours challenged Gbuchenge again and an argument ensued.
He said Gbuchenge immediately stood up and threatened to go and tell his colleagues at the Ketu Police Division that he was being wrongly accused of abduction.
“Some moments later, I also stood up and headed for the police station to go and report the matter thinking I would meet the policeman there as well but I did not. After reporting the matter, a police corporal accompanied me back to my house,” Patrick said.
It was learnt that when they returned to the house, Gbuchenge was nowhere to be found and his room was locked.
“We were able to beam a torchlight through his window where we saw my daughter’s legs pointing out from under the bed,” Patrick said.
Neighbours were said to have rallied around and broken Gbuchenge’s door open.
When the little girl was finally pulled out from under the bed, she was bound by her hands and feet while a piece of cloth had been stuffed in her mouth.
Amarachi was said to have been bleeding profusely as she had sustained a broken skull.
She was subsequently taken to Gbagada General Hospital but due to the severity of her wound, she was referred to the Lagos Island General Hospital.
When Punch correspondent visited the victim at the hospital, she was seen wearing a neck brace while her head had been bandaged.
Narrating her ordeal, Amarachi said, “On that day, he (Gbuchenge) asked me to buy akara for him. After I returned, my mum asked me to go upstairs to do the dishes. As I was going, the man pulled me from behind and took me into his room.
“He then tied me up. He did not rape me. After sometime, my parents started shouting my name and calling me, the policeman used an iron to hit me in the head repeatedly and then pushed me under the bed and used clothes to cover me. Under the bed, I saw little children’s clothes.
“He then turned on his generator so that even if I tried to shout, no one would hear. After sometime, he left. I continued to hear my father’s voice and I struggled to push my leg from under the bed. That was how they saw me and rescued me.”
Amara described the policeman as a very friendly person who usually bought sweets and biscuits for children in the compound. She said she was surprised that he would do such a thing.
A neighbour, who did not identify himself, described Gbuchenge as a very strange person who usually carried a large bag around.
“The man (Gbuchenge) has been living in this compound for over three years. He is married with children but his family lives in Alapere, Ketu. He has two buses but on the day of the incident, he did not bring his vehicles home, it seems he had planned to escape on that day.
“We believe he wanted to use the girl for ritual. What were little children’s clothes doing under the bed?”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the incident in a text message sent to Punch. She said efforts were on to determine if the suspect was indeed a policeman.
She said, “I heard of the wicked act. MOPOL 22, which is where the complainant claims the suspect works has been contacted. However, the commander in charge of MOPOL 22 said there was no person with such a name or identity in his squadron.
“Meanwhile, we have sent signals to other police departments and stations to ascertain if the man is actually a serving policeman. The act is inhuman and the suspect will never go unpunished.”
*OMG...these devils just keep devising new ways to commit crime....every parent should sleep with one eye open oh,especially those that live in houses with several others..trust no one!
Who recruited this satan? Killing the very people he ought to be protecting, he needs a guillotine already.
ReplyDeleteHmmm! Odiegwu! Cannibals roaming around in human form. Typical of police to deny they dnt knw him.
DeleteShe ws just a lucky chap. Dis is a lesson for parents who are nonchalant to their kids' whereabouts; assuming they are playing or "Sleeping upstairs".
Nigeria police no b your friend ooh, d sooner we realise the better..
And the nigerian police force is telling us cock and bull stories about knowing if the culprit is a serving police man or not?? Why not run the fucking given force number on your computer/server to check if truly he is a police man or not?? With the above given force number, is it still difficult to find out if he is a genuine police man or not?? Smh
DeleteThank God for his timely intervention, may He perfect her healing in Jesus'name.
DeleteClick my name for all your celebration cakes n cupcakes, cheers
police is not your friend!
ReplyDeletethe sooner people begin to accept this the better for them.
police by day, ritualist by night.
namsense!
thank God for the poor girl.
and her mother!...must be nonchalant foolish woman. how can she assume her daughter was indoors???? mtchew!
My thoughts exactly. As a mom,you should know how your kids are wired... If they sleep early or late... How come its a man that figured that his daughter can't be asleep at that hour... If my kids are sleeping before 8pm,there is a problem... If my kids sleep off when they come back to school,there is a problem... So how come the woman did not know? She's so nonchalant...
DeleteHmmm psychos and serial killers everywhere. God save n protect his children
ReplyDeleteJeeezzzz...thank God for Amarachi's life...
ReplyDeleteStella pls proper reporting. At least edit the little girls face. And broken skull? What type of journalism is this?
ReplyDeletePeople in Nigeria need to learn to be their brothers keeper. Ask questions, why did the guys family live somewhere else? Get to know your neighbors.
I'll carry my child 4 9months and it is be well......eternal woe to whoeva has taken life,life of a child,God won't give u d opportunity of ever having one.Amen
ReplyDeleteToo much of watching 150 series! This guy is trying to be serial killer .
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of story is this? The things one hears on a daily basis! Thank God for Amarachi's life and thank God she wasn't raped!
ReplyDeleteJust like her name implies, Amarachukwu is really with Amarachi. Thank God for her life.
ReplyDeleteSoon the police will claim the man is not one of them. SMH
He should be brought to book ASAP.
I don't knw when mothers will learn to keep their children safe, especially the girl-child. Pls don't allow your children to run errands for neighbours. Hia!!! When your kids are playing in the yard, stay and watch guard. How many times have we heard stories like this. Thk God Amarachi was not killed. Wishing you speedy recovery lil one.
ReplyDeleteHhhmmm..and everyday there is always a complain that Nigeria is this and that while some citizens keep making it worst and inconvenient for living..which way are we heading? This man really needs help if the allegations placed on him are just as stated..Animals hiding within the human flesh!! *smh*
ReplyDelete*a
ReplyDeleteThat's a ritualist hiding under the guise of being a police man.this world is strange and scary!
ReplyDeleteThank God the poor girl was saved. Evil people everywhere,even next door. Lord have mercy.
ReplyDeleteThere was no mention about whether the alleged Policeman has bn arrested or not.Has he escaped as usual?Pls Stella follow up this story. It is not just enough for u to cull it from Punch.The Nigerian Police first reaction whenever their officers r involved in crime is to go into denial. They r at it again! They r trained to lie.Lying s their second nature; unlawful killing their first.It is easier for a camel to pass thru d eye of a niddle than for a Nigerian policeman to enter into d Kingdom of God.
ReplyDeleteOk, please can someone explain what the recruitment process is like in the NPF? Do they just approach people on the road and recruit? Gosh, this is sickening.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Nigerian police is your friend
ReplyDeleteOmg!
ReplyDeleteWhen dr is no criteria for recruitment, a mad man can even become a police officer so far he has a godfather and even if u enter as a good person d system will corrupt u and purge out all d goodness and morality in u. The govt is our no1 enemy the police is our no2 enemy, u'll find pple with d worst character there
ReplyDeleteNigerian Police!!! Dy wnt to deny that this evil culprit is one of theirs. Corrupt faggots, i'm sure they wil expunge all files and evidence that he ever belonged to their sector just to cover their shameless bhind.
ReplyDeleteMothers pls beware of all dis so cald nice neighbours,dnt let people send ur kids on errands and no more collection of candy/biscuits. I dnt care if people feel u r over protective or rude.
Thank God the little girl survived.Hmmm.....
The kinda stories that keep springing up in dis world everyday! Just wen u think u've understood d human mind,some new lunatic surfaces to prove u wrong...
ReplyDeleteKENDRIXXX
Too much wickedness in that country!
ReplyDeleteAs I said earlier. This year is a year when Almighty God will expose all ritual killers. This is just april about to be may. I believe before the end of this year he will expose more of these devils and many others who think they can get away with this inhumane act. God is alive.
ReplyDeleteFurther more, to these bokoharam or whatever u call ur name. Hmm! a time will come when ur camp will be demolished by the power of God, cause I believe there's nothing he can't do, even when the so call leaders and politicians pretend they don't know anything. #Amen.
Thank God, mothers shld always be aware of who is sending ur children an errand, in case u dnt see dm u can contact d person. The man has hidden agenda for nt bringing his family to d cpd. He does dt so dt he can escape at any time ti owo palaba e ba seki (ds is 4 typical yoruba pple)
ReplyDeleteDis one is wickedness o.
ReplyDeleteThe cast around this child's neck is?
ReplyDeleteparents pls be careful especially of people that are seemingly very nice, harmless and always buying things for children when they dont have. the world has turned such an evil place that even fathers, maids, gateman,bothers in law, policemen, neighbours etc CANNOT be trusted around our kids. Mothers both poor and rich, take out time to interact with your kids and encourage dialogue btwn you and them.
ReplyDeleteThank God she wasn't molested, we pray justice will be dished ASAP
ReplyDeleteWeirdos everywhere, God keep watch over us & Al ours.
Na wa oo....get rich quick syndrome.
ReplyDeleteIn this age and time soo some parents still allow their kids go outside unaccompanied.
I'm always watching channel 170/171, and they say I'm paranoid but can one be too careful in this world we live in?
Do Nigerian applicants to the police force take a psychological test before being admitted?
ReplyDeleteI am speechless! An eight year old child! And a policeman! Is Dere nothing i wont hear?! What has dis world turned into?! Ritualists parading as humans! I have never heard of anything like dis before....m soo shocked.God wil pinish u a million times over u evil Man! Ur days shall be Hard and sorrowful.n u wil die a painful death in d nearest future....beast!
ReplyDeleteWicked man,,,police ko police ni...Sadist man
ReplyDeleteWhat a smart girl.
ReplyDeleteThank God for the neighbourhood kids and the good father. Left for Mama Amara who was probably gossiping outside, the poor kid would have been turned to ritual ingredients.
Bloody scallywag.
ReplyDeleteThank God for the girl's father, If he hadn't started looking for her at that time,the ritual policeman would have carried her away in one of his 'big' bags. The mother sef, you sent your child to do the dishes and dint even check to see if she had done it.you didn't see her and then you assumed she must have slept, you didn't even think she could be sick or something. They must find that police man ooo, before he will go somewhere else and continue
ReplyDelete