Residents of the Igando area in Lagos State have been left in shock after a couple, Paul Onyeama and Adline Ogbonna, allegedly killed their 10-year-old adopted daughter following repeated abuse.
The incident was said to have occurred on Sunday after what sources described as weeks of maltreatment. The couple, who lived on Jemesi Papa Street, reportedly subjected the child, identified as Faith, to frequent assaults and heavy domestic tasks.
Sources in the area said the girl had been ill for about two weeks before the incident, yet the alleged abuse did not stop.
A resident, Adekunle Taofeek, narrated how the situation worsened on Sunday, leading to the child’s death. He said, “The couple had adopted a 10-year-old girl. They had been consistently maltreating and assaulting the child, while also sending her on unnecessary errands.
“I was informed that the girl had been sick for about two weeks, yet the abuse continued. Yesterday, both the husband and wife allegedly beat the child severely despite her condition, and sadly, she died.”
It was gathered that the suspects later took the girl to a hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.
The development angered some youths in the neighbourhood, who reportedly apprehended the woman. Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the husband was also stopped after he allegedly left the house to find a tricycle to dispose of the body.
“The moment the girl died, they kept her corpse in the room and acted as though nothing had happened. The wife even came out this morning to cook in the kitchen like nothing had happened.
“It was residents who had been observing what was going on that raised the alarm about the whereabouts of the girl before they discovered that she had died. If they had succeeded in disposing of the body, no one would have known her whereabouts,” the resident said.
The matter was reported at the Igando Police Division. Officers were deployed to the scene, leading to the arrest of the couple and the recovery of the child’s body.
A police source disclosed that the suspects claimed the girl died while receiving treatment at a hospital. “Our preliminary findings revealed that the child was already dead before she was brought to the medical facility. The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation,” the source said.
Taofeek also questioned the suspects’ account and said he verified the hospital claim. “While I was questioning the suspect, he claimed the girl was sick, that they rushed her to the hospital, and that she died while receiving treatment. I then asked which hospital was involved.
“Unfortunately for him, the doctor there is known to me and also my personal physician. I called the doctor to verify the claim, and he confirmed that a child was brought to the hospital, but she was already dead on arrival,” he added.
He stated that efforts would be made to ensure justice in the case.
Efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, were not successful. Calls to her phone were not answered, and a text message sent to her had not received a response as of the time of filing this report.
A similar case was reported in April 2025 in the Ojo area of Lagos State, where a man allegedly beat his daughter to death.
