By Abimbola Ogunnaike
An hotel worker, identified as Nnnena Onu, was allegedly tortured to death by her employer following her failure to account for the sum of N17,500.
The sad incident happened in Ebocha in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
It was gathered that the girl was locked in one of the rooms in the hotel without food and water where she reportedly passed out due to exhaustion.
It was further learnt that even after paying the said sum, Miss Onu pleaded with her employer to free her on the third day as she was getting weak, but her plea fell on deaf ears.
The girl was later rushed to the hospital after passing out but unfortunately gave up the ghost.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Civil Society Organisations have called on the State Police Command to immediately open an investigation into the incident.
Chairman of the State CSO, Enefaa Georgewill, while speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said the police must identify anyone found culpable and bring them to justice.
“The Rivers State Civil Society Organisations call on the State Commissioner of Police to investigate, arrest and prosecute all those involved in the torture to death Miss Nnnena Onu a staff of the Wayouma Hotel in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA.
“From our investigation, we gathered that late Miss Nnenna was allegedly started for four days in a confined room simply because she can’t account for N17,500 belonging to her employer,” Georgewill stated.
Describing her death as unfortunate, he said stated the SCO will not take its eyes away from the matter until justice is served.
“This is barbaric, to say the least, and inhuman at worst to say, in this time and age that inhuman treatment meted out on slaves in the 17th and 18th century can be deployed against a Nigerian citizen in the 21st century. ”
He urged the police not to politicise or sweep this matter under the carpet in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Our laws on torture and murder are very clear. It should be clearly applied, and we are monitoring,” the Rivers CSO chairman stated.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko said she had heard of the incident but had yet to get the details.
“I will reach the Divisional Police Officer and get back to you, “Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said.
But at the time of filing this report, she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this as at the evening of Friday, 23 June, 2023.
