The 13-year-old girl rescued from a suspected ritualist’s sewage pit in Enugu State has been moved to a rehabilitation centre for therapy, the state government has confirmed.
Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, disclosed the development during a visit to Umumba Ndiagu in Ezeagu Local Government Area on Sunday.
“We travelled to Ndiagu Umumba, Ezeagu LGA, today at the governor’s instance to meet with parents of Ukamaka, and to bring her to Enugu (Urban) where she will undergo the necessary therapy and be fully rehabilitated,” she said.
“You can imagine the level of trauma this young girl must have passed through. So, the government wants to ensure that she bounces back fully in the shortest possible time,” the commissioner added.
Miss Ukamaka Okonkwo was found alive in a sewage pit allegedly used by a native doctor, Levi Onyeka Obieze Obu, for ritual killings. The suspect, popularly known as Ozo Ezeani and also called “E dey play E dey show”, had reportedly thrown her into the pit on Monday, where she was later discovered by community members.
Authorities said that several other bodies, including that of a pregnant woman and a missing schoolboy, were recovered from the same pit. The boy, identified as Chimaobi Ezih, had gone missing a few weeks earlier while returning from school.
Obu was arrested by Nigeria Immigration Service personnel at the Badagry-Seme Border in Lagos on Wednesday while attempting to flee the country. He has since been handed over to the police for prosecution.
Mrs Enih revealed that Governor Peter Mbah has awarded a full scholarship to Miss Okonkwo, covering her education from her current class through to university level.
“The governor has also graciously awarded a scholarship to her, which is to see her through university education from her current class,” she explained.
“This is just a way of reassuring her and her parents that they are not alone and to equally put smiles on their faces. Government wants to ensure that she fulfils her glorious destiny because she is a destined child.”
The commissioner also confirmed that the state government had sent a condolence delegation to the family of Chimaobi Ezih in Agba Umana, a neighbouring community in Ezeagu LGA.
On the pregnant woman whose body was also found in the sewage pit, Mrs Enih said her identity was yet to be confirmed.
She noted that security agencies are actively investigating the case and working to apprehend any accomplices connected to the crime.
“That is the only way to appease the spirits and souls of the deceased and to get our society rid of such crimes,” she stated.
Authorities have yet to provide the full number of victims allegedly buried in the pit, but the case has sparked outrage across the South-east and renewed calls for stronger child protection and community surveillance mechanisms.
