Amatobi is said to have assaulted his eight-week-old son, Miracle, with a plastic hanger and broke his arm for disturbing his sleep.
The incident led to the amputation of Miracle’s fractured arm at the Pediatrics ward of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC Owerri.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Imo State chapter, and the mother of the child have called on the Imo State government and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest and prosecute the father.
The Imo State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Dr Dorothy Nnaji, who spoke to journalists after visiting the amputated boy at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, confirmed that the injury inflicted on little Miracle by his father led to the amputation of his right hand.
Mrs. Nnaji, who frowned at the dastardly cruel act of Mr. Amatobi, expressed shock that a father could assault his innocent child simply because he was crying and disturbing his sleep.
She disclosed that Mr. Amatobi was reported to have repeatedly hit the baby with a plastic hanger to stop him from crying until the right hand broke.
“The perpetrator, Mr. Confidence Amatobi, who hails from Amurie in Isu L.G.A used a plastic hanger on the baby, simply because he was crying that the mother left to ease herself. He used wood and elastic bands to tie the baby’s hand when he saw that hand was broken and swollen.
“He locked the mother and baby to prevent her from talking to neighbours or seeking help. He also took her phone from her. After two days she found her way out and sought help from her neighbours. The guy was arrested by a vigilante but he escaped. By the time help came, the baby’s hand was already decayed. The only option was to cut off baby Miracle’s right hand from shoulder,”
“I feel for the 20 year old Favor Chikwe who is too young to go through all this stress just because she went to easy herself. I am calling on lmo State Judiciary and all spirited individuals and Government to give justice to this innocent boy whose only crime was that he cried like any other baby.” Nnaji said.
The Imo State Coordinator of NHRC, Mrs Ukachi Ukah, who also reacted to the incident, condemned the brutality and insisted that justice must be allowed to take its course.
Narrating her ordeal, the mother of Miracle, Mrs. Favour Chikwe, 20, who hails from Idemili Community, Anambra State, disclosed that she had left Miracle with his father on Friday, October 7, 2022, to use the toilet when the incident happened.
She said she overheard her baby crying uncontrollably and had to rush back to find the cause of her cry, only to discover that his right hand was swollen and bone broken from the beating he received from his father.
She claimed her husband confessed that he battered the baby because he was disturbing him with his cries while he was sleeping.
“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.” Favour said.
