A couple, Uche Mbonu and his wife Peace were arrested for alleged child abuse, starvation, and neglect of their five young sons in Osumenyi, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State,
The arrests were carried out by security operatives and facilitated by the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo.
Chigbo Mbonu, the eldest son, recounted their hardships since Peace, his father’s third wife, joined the family.
He shared that they often went without proper meals, surviving on raw rice and palm kernels when food was scarce.
Chigbo, 17, also revealed that he had to leave school to work at his father’s block industry, molding up to six bags of cement daily.
Chigbo said, “My father had married two wives before finally marrying my stepmother, who is his salesgirl.
“We feed once a day for the days our stepmother will give us food. That’s why we rely on raw rice and palm kernels after hunger has severely dealt with us.
“At some point, I stopped schooling because I helped my father in his block industry. I mould blocks with 4 bags of cement on a bad day and 6 bags on normal days,” 17-year-old Chigbo lamented.
