This is a torturous period for a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Onwe who were allegedly subjected to inhumane treatments by their neighbours over minor disagreement.
The husband and wife are residents of the Ugwuachara axis of Abakaliki Ebonyi State capital.
The Onwes, who are living in an overcrowded “Face me-I face you” apartment, allegedly had issues with some of their neighbours who conspired and tortured them.
The woman, aged about 40 years, Mrs. Obioma Onwe, was bathed with a very hot water which was mixed with pepper while her husband had his head shaved with a knife and beaten to stupor.
The Point learnt that the duo had been hospitalized after the attacks.
Obioma and her next door neighbour got engaged in a fight after an altercation over issues affecting the compound before the neighbour got inside, took hot water and poured pepper in it before pouring it on her.
Not quite long after this, the husband of the woman who ambushed Obioma with hot water, allegedly hired some suspected cultists and attacked Mr. Onwe, beat him mercilessly and got his head shaved with a knife.
When the matter got to the National Human Rights Commission in the state, the husband and wife were rushed to an undisclosed hospital where they have been receiving treatments.
The Ebonyi State Coordinator of NHRC, Onyebuchi Okorie disclosed that the commission had commenced investigation into the matter.
Giving details of the attacks, Okorie said, “This woman (pointing to Obioma) is a victim of man’s inhumanity to man. She was bathed with very hot water mixed with pepper by her next door neighbour. She told me that she had a fight with her apartment neighbour and after they were separated, she went about her business believing that the fight was over, not knowing that her neighbour went inside and boiled very hot water mixed with pepper and ambushed her with the peppered hot water.
“From the pictures here, you can see the damage a woman did to her fellow woman. When the husband returned upon calls from their neighbours, he went to fight for his wife and the husband of her wife’s opponent called a cult group who did much more damage on the man and had his hair ruthlessly cut with a knife.”
He added, “Both husband and wife are receiving treatment in a clinic in my compound.
“I took these pictures of her myself, there is no physical injury on the husband but he can’t walk without being assisted.”
Meanwhile, the NHRC has decried low reportage of abuse to the commission in the state.
While lamenting that most cases of human rights violations are underreported in the state, Okorie called on human rights lawyers to assist victims in getting justice.
According to Okorie, victims refused to report to the commission but prefer to go to social media to report cases without relevant information that would lead to necessary investigations and interventions.
The coordinator enjoined people to always report matters of human rights violations to the commission for prompt interventions and prosecution.
“Honestly, the Ebonyi State office of NHRC seems to be under-reporting human rights violations in the state for the simple reason that complainants refuse to report human rights violations to the commission but prefer to go to social media to report cases without relevant information that would lead to necessary investigations and interventions.
“The commission hopes and requests citizens and CSOs to please see the NHRC office of the state as a veritable channel to report all cases of human rights violations for prompt necessary actions,” Okorie said.
