A 12-year-old girl has been left with a permanently deformed finger after she was allegedly tortured by a family she was staying with over a claim that she stole just ₦500.
The shocking incident was revealed by a doctor at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Tortiv Msen, who said he attended to the girl when she was rushed to the hospital’s emergency paediatric unit.
Msen, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, said the child was brought to the hospital by a middle-aged female police officer about 10 days after she suffered the severe burn injury.
He explained that the girl’s parents, who live in a village, had sent her to stay with another family in town before the alleged abuse occurred.
“The girl’s parents live in a village, so she has been sent to stay with another family in town. That family accused her of stealing ₦500,” Msen said.
The doctor alleged that the family responded to the accusation with a brutal punishment, burning one of the girl’s fingers until it became badly damaged and permanently twisted.
“They subjected her to a hellfire punishment, burning her finger until it was deformed,” he said.
Despite the injury, the doctor said the girl was allegedly forced to continue working around the house without receiving medical attention, causing the wound to worsen.
“They forced her to continue house chores without wound care even as her finger worsened. No pain compares to that of a burn,” he said.
According to Msen, the girl’s ordeal only came to light after neighbours reportedly stepped in, rescued her and alerted the police.
He said investigations later showed that the child was wrongly accused, as a member of the family allegedly admitted to taking the missing money.
“It was later found out that one of the family members, who confessed to the police, took the money and not the poor girl,” he said.
The doctor said the incident had deeply affected him, describing it as a painful reminder of the dangers children face when placed under the care of adults who fail to protect them.
“That moment stayed with me,” he said.
Msen urged parents to prioritise their presence and care for their children above material pursuits, saying no possession should come before the responsibility of protecting a child.
“As parents, praying for longevity is beyond our cravings for the beautiful things of this world, but that we may be there and strong enough to care for our children,” he said.
He added that the young girl may have to live with the physical and emotional scars of the alleged abuse for the rest of her life.
“The little girl will grow up with a deformed finger constantly reminding her of how below the bare minimum adults around her fell,” Msen said.
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