Mother removes son’s teeth with punches, hits head on wall

Juliana Francis

The survivor

The mother: Peace Onyebuchi

A mother, Peace Onyebuchi, who residents of Ajangbandi area of Lagos State have described as a mother from hell, has been arrested for using punches to remove all the front roll teeth of her 10-year-old son, identified as Divine.

According to residents, whenever Peace pounces on her son, she would use her teeth to attack and often liked hitting his head on a wall. The boy’s body is covered in fresh and old scars. Different corners of his head are swollen as a result of beatings from his mom.

The maltreatment of the boy became known after a concerned neighbour, worried that Peace could kill the boy, alerted members of the Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN). The neighbour made the call after Peace embarked on beating the boy for close to three hours on Friday.

Some members of the ACVPN, led by the co-founder of the organisation, Mr. Ebenezer Omejalile, dashed to the community to rescue the boy.

When Peace heard that some child rights advocates were coming, she had attempted to escape, but neighbours held her captive.

She was arrested by the Gender Unit of Ajangbandi Police Station, while Divine was taken to Igando General Hospital.

Omejalile said: “We were surprised to find out that the perpetrator is actually the biological mother of the survivor. The woman is a monster; it will surprise everyone to hear that she used to bite him and also used to hit his head against a wall at the slightest provocation. The survivor is badly damaged and has stunted growth for someone of his age. He actually looked like a six years old boy. There are several injuries and scars all over his body. He couldn't stand very well and his back protruded as if he had a hunch back.”

Omejalile continued with his heart-breaking findings: “His left ear is completely messed up and his entire head clustered and swollen. The survivor is unable to walk well. The boy is very brilliant. The perpetrator claimed she had the boy in her first relationship. She also had another baby of three years old with her present husband, who is presently in Gambia.”

It was also gathered that when the police and members of ACVPN got to the scene, there was jubilation among people in the community. Some advocates believed that Peace’s horrific behaviour towards her son was because, “she couldn't overcome the rejection she suffered in the hands of his father.”

Some people also suggested that Peace should be referred to a psychologist, to ascertain her mental state.

Also, WRAHP, with support from Actionaid, supported the arrest and rescue of the boy.

Our reporter heard that during an interview session with Peace, she reported that she was in a relationship for three years with a man called Victor in Gambia, and when she discovered she was pregnant, she told her lover. But Victor, rather than man up and take responsibilities, denied the pregnancy, abandoning Peace.

While on the streets with the pregnancy, she met another man, who took her in and brought her back to Nigeria.

She further explained that while in Nigeria, she got pregnant and had her three years old son, who she handles with reverence.

She accepted she had subjected Divine to serious torment and battery. It was also discovered that she stopped the boy from school after his school management threatened to call police on her because of her constant maltreatment of the boy.