Femi Ashekun/
Residents of the Igando area of Lagos State are still grappling with shock and anger after a couple allegedly beat their 10-year-old adopted daughter to death and reportedly kept her corpse inside their apartment while continuing with their daily activities.
The incident, which occurred on Jemesi Papa Street in the Egan area of Igando, has triggered widespread outrage and renewed concerns over child abuse and the treatment of vulnerable children living outside their biological homes.
According to eyewitness accounts, suspicions first emerged late at night when unusual movements were noticed around the compound where the couple, identified as Paul Onyeama and Adline Ogbonna, lived with the child, identified simply as Faith.
A resident, Ferdinand Igwe, whose room reportedly faced the suspects’ apartment, recounted how he became alarmed after spotting unfamiliar men entering the compound quietly through the back entrance.
“I came back around 10 or 11pm and noticed movement. I saw about eight to 10 strange men entering through the backyard. I had never seen them before, so I became suspicious,” he said.
The neighbour explained that his concerns deepened the following morning when the female suspect, who usually left early for the market, remained indoors acting nervously.
“She kept locking and unlocking the room repeatedly. She looked worried and refused to answer when I asked what was wrong,” he recalled.
According to him, the situation escalated when a group of women arrived at the compound and suddenly began screaming that the child was dead.
“I rushed inside and saw the girl’s body wrapped on a chair. When I touched her, she was already stiff. Cotton wool had been placed in her nose and mouth,” he alleged.
The disturbing discovery quickly drew angry residents to the compound, with some reportedly attempting to attack the suspects before they were restrained.
Another resident said many neighbours had long suspected the child was being maltreated because cries frequently came from the apartment and the girl was often seen carrying heavy loads despite appearing weak and ill.
Residents alleged that the couple repeatedly subjected Faith to physical abuse and strenuous labour over several months.
The child was reportedly brought to Lagos from Ebonyi State about six months earlier and was said to be related to the female suspect.
Community activists who later intervened claimed the suspects initially told neighbours that the child died while receiving treatment at a hospital. However, enquiries allegedly showed she had already died before being taken there.
A police source familiar with the case reportedly said preliminary findings suggested the victim died before being transported to the medical facility, contradicting the suspects’ version of events.
Police operatives attached to the Igando Division later arrested the couple and recovered the child’s body.
The case has reportedly been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation.
The tragedy has reignited conversations around child protection failures in Nigeria, especially involving adopted children and minors sent to live with relatives or guardians.
Child rights advocates have repeatedly warned that abuse cases often go unnoticed until they become fatal because neighbours either fear interference or lack confidence in intervention systems.
For many residents in the quiet Lagos neighbourhood, the incident remains difficult to comprehend.
“To think that all this was happening beside us while the child suffered in silence is heartbreaking,” a resident said.
Police authorities had yet to issue an updated official statement on the investigation as of the time of reporting.
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