By Habeeb Ibrahim
A disturbing child abuse incident in Ikorodu has sparked widespread outrage and discussions about ethnicity in Nigeria’s justice system.
BlackBox Nigeria reported that police arrested 45-year-old Stella Nwadigo, a teacher accused of physically assaulting 3-year-old Abayomi Micheal at Christ-Mitots School in Ikorodu. The incident, captured on video and shared online, shows Nwadigo attacking the child.
The arrest occurred on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, shortly after the video went viral, prompting calls for justice. While the police’s swift action was praised, the case has also ignited debate over the role of ethnicity in law enforcement.
Arc Uche Rochas condemned Nwadigo’s actions as “absolutely condemnable” and expressed concern over the potential psychological trauma for the child. However, Rochas suggested that the police’s response might be influenced by two factors: the woman’s ethnic background and the need to serve justice. He also criticized the Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) for not addressing other crimes happening daily across Nigeria, implying that the case was being used as a “scapegoat.”
Maxi Nzeako, in a separate response, took to social media to announce he would tag the police in all future cases involving crimes by Yoruba people, demanding similar attention. “We will tag you on all Yoruba crimes starting today and hope you do justice to it with name, age, location, and the level of crime,” Nzeako said, also praising the police for their swift response.
