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Anger in Lagos as parents allegedly beat teenage girl to death for dating Yoruba boy

The deceased's relationship with her boyfriend led to pregnancy, after which she was reportedly subjected to severe torture by her parents during the pregnancy, and after she was delivered of a baby.

The teenage girl, Amaka Nweke was said to have met her boyfriend, Ibrahim Lawal, when she was in Senior Secondary School (SSS). [New Telegraph]

New Telegraph reports that the incident led to outrage among residents of Agility community at Mile 12 area of Lagos, where the victim was living with her parents.

The parents who hail from the Southeast region of the country, were said to have been more enraged that their daughter got pregnant for the boy, identified as Ibrahim Lawal.

Amaka's parents were alleged to have repeatedly subjected her to torture, including starving her during pregnancy.

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The deceased and her boyfriend were said to have met when she was in Senior Secondary School (SSS). Subsequently, the relationship led to the pregnancy Amaka had, which her parents fumed and kicked against.

She was later delivered of a baby boy, christened Zaeed.

Friends and other people familiar with the matter disclosed that Amaka went through hell in the hands of her parents during her pregnancy.

A lady who simply identified herself as Adebola, said "Amaka went through a lot. She really suffered.

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“When Amaka and Ibrahim were dating, her parents were always threatening her. They told her that they didn’t want her to continue associating with the boy. What broke the camel’s back was Amaka becoming pregnant for Ibrahim. Her parents were livid and starved her of food.

“Whenever her parents were beating her, some of us would approach and beg them to stop. They used to beat her with different objects even while she was pregnant. Whenever her boyfriend brought food to her, they would not allow her to have access to it.”

According to Adebola, when Amaka was delivered of her baby, her parents couldn’t afford the medical bill. She explained that they (Amaka's parents) had to call on Ibrahim’s family, who gladly paid up before the new mother was discharged from the hospital.

Adebola added that people thought the move would defuse the tension between the two families, but the Nwekes returned to status quo.

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Adebola explained, “After she was released from the hospital, her (Amaka's) parents tried to prevent the husband’s family from naming their grandchild. But it took the intervention of the Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) and some elders in the area before the Nwekes released the baby to them.”

Ibrahim’s mother, Ebunola Lawal, said she reported the repeated beatings of Amaka by her parents to the police.

She said, “When my son impregnated Amaka, I didn’t reject the pregnancy. I was already used to seeing them together. When it was clear to me that Ibrahim was the owner of the pregnancy, I started taking care of the girl as my daughter-in-law. I however noticed that whenever I go to give her foodstuff, her mother wouldn’t want her to collect it from me. I used to force her before she would collect it.

“When Amaka was in labour, her parents didn’t inform us. It was Ibrahim who saw her mother take her to hospital and alerted us. I couldn’t go to the hospital that fateful day, but the following day, Ibrahim went to the hospital to check on her and found she was delivered successfully.

“When it was time for mother and child to be discharged from the hospital, Amaka’s parents couldn’t afford the medical bill. They sent for us and we later paid the money. The parents took Amaka and the baby to their house, instead of the father’s house.”

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Ebunola recalled that on the eight day of the birth of the child, they went to the Nwekes to name the baby, but were rebuffed.

She explained, “We went to Amaka’s house as early as 6:00 a.m. We begged them till noon before they finally released the baby to us with the assistance of some elders in the community.

“The parents also gave us two hours to return the baby. Two weeks after the naming ceremony, my husband and I went back to Amaka’s parents’ house to check on our grandchild, but Mrs. Nweke prevented us from seeing the baby and Amaka.

“When the pressure from her parents to stop seeing Ibrahim was becoming too much, Amaka told Ibrahim to stop coming. She said that they would be discussing on the phone. She told him that whenever he comes to visit her, her parents would pounce on her and beat her mercilessly. Mrs. Nweke didn’t like Amaka’s union with my son.

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“The major issue that led to Amaka’ death started on January 1, 2020. This was after she came to our house to collect clothes for herself and the baby, to celebrate the Yuletide. A few minutes after she left our house, she called Ibrahim on the phone that her mother had started beating her for collecting the clothes and money from us. I was informed that her parents collected the baby from her and locked her in their apartment and beat her for two days.

“It was in the process of beating her that she became unconscious. The parents rushed her to hospital in the neighbourhood and they were referred to Gbagada General Hospital, where she was confirmed dead on Sunday. When Ibrahim went to check on her at the hospital, she couldn’t stand up or sit. She just lied on the bed. The most annoying aspect of it was that when they were rushing Amaka to hospital, they gave our four-months-old grandson to a neighbour, instead of bringing him to us to mind.”

Ebunola added that when she heard that Amaka’s parents had beaten her again, she went to the police station at Mile 12 under bridge to lodge a complaint.

She further stressed, “When we went to collect the baby from the woman they gave him to, she refused to release him to us. But out of pressure, she eventually released him. I’ll miss Amaka; she was an easy going girl. I accepted her as my son’s wife because of her attitude. It was her parents that killed her.”

Amaka’s friend, a nurse, Omotola explained that when the beating was becoming unbearable for the deceased, she sought her assistance.

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She said: “Amaka called me and asked that I should rescue her. She said that she didn’t want to die.

“When I didn’t see Amaka for some days, I became worried. I chatted with her up on Facebook, and she told me that she was sick due to the series of beatings she received from her parents. She told me that Ibrahim was bringing money to her to buy drugs. When I couldn’t bear it again, I went to see her. When I saw her, I noticed that her breathing was difficult and terrible. I didn’t like the way she was breathing. I went to a chemist to get her some pain relieving drugs, which I gave to her.

“Before I left, I noticed she was not improving. I quickly called her father on the phone and urged him to take her to hospital. I even suggested taking her to the hospital I work. I heard the following day that the parents didn’t heed my advice. They didn’t take her to hospital that day. They decided to take her to the hospital the following day. I don’t know why they decided to waste the life of that poor girl. Amaka was punished until she died.”

When reached out to for reaction, the heartbreaking Ibrahim couldn't say anything, as he was continuously weeping.

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Amaka’s father, Mike, however maintained his innocence and that of his wife.

Mike said, “Is it possible for a father to kill his only daughter, I don’t beat my children. My wife is a woman of virtue; she doesn’t beat our children, she is not a wicked woman. We didn’t beat her because we saw her going to Ibrahim’s house. Everything Ibrahim’s family said was false because now I’m in mourning. I come from a Christian family. I warned my wife to stop disturbing Amaka and Ibrahim. I told my wife that if God said the union was ordained from Him, they would live together as husband and wife. I have never disturbed them.

“When Amaka took ill, we rushed her to two private hospitals before we were referred to Gbagada General Hospital where she died.”

When asked about Amaka’s baby, Mike explained that he and his wife left the baby with a neighbour in Lagos, because he couldn’t be taken to Ebonyi.

“I’m only going to Ebonyi State with Amaka’s mother and siblings," Mike added.

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The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, said the state command is waiting for the medical report to ascertain the cause of Amaka's death.

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