It is a known fact that some human beings could in a fit of rage whether provoked or unprovoked, turn bestial and indulge in actions that are simply beyond human comprehension.
This animalistic tendency in man came to the fore when one Mr. Moses Bruce-Jaja in a fit of madness used an electric pressing iron to design the body of his 11-year-old son, Master Idawarifa Moses.
The horrifying incident according to sources from Borikiri police station, happened last week Monday at Darick polo, near Okaki Street in Borikiri area of Port Harcourt, while the police got the information on Monday 3oth April 2012 through a tip off by a member of the community.
The source said the police on getting the tip off, immediately swung into action and arrested the culprit and also rescued the boy to the police station.
The boy who suffered severe burns and lacerations on his body, was a pitiable image that could only leave one guessing on the mental state of his biological father who put him in that condition, compounded by lack of care.
The speed with which the boy devoured the food the police gave him and which restored his strength before he could talk profoundly, explained the pathetic condition he had been living in.
When our correspondent spoke with the boy, he revealed the paradox of a condition which draws parallel with a slave. The difference is that he is not living with a slave master but with his own father who hails from Opobo in Opobo/Nkoro local government council of Rivers State.
According to the boy who lost his mother and sibling years ago, he lives with his father and step mother. He said he was treated like a slave as he does all the house chores with little or no food.
On the day of the incident, the boy disclosed that he had finished washing some plates when his father accused him of stealing meat from the soup pot which he said he never did.
According to the boy, accusations of stealing meat, money or something else by his father or step mother is something he has learnt to live with in the house.
However, on this day, his denial or smacking him will not save him as the father wanted to leave some indelible marks on his body and so he locked the door in the night and plugged an electric pressing iron. When the iron got hot to the point that it could even crack bones, he unplugged it and turned his son’s body into a pressing pad.
The boy, writhing in pain screamed calling on his grand mother’s name (not living with them) but help could not come his way as the door was firmly shut while his father unleashed his animalistic instincts on him. In a tacit show of complicity, according to the boy, his step mother was just looking on and remained indifferent to the unfolding bizarre act.
As for his father who is now cooling his heels in the police net, the burns he inflicted on his son was not enough as he ordered the boy to kneel down, hands up with a kitchen chair, till the early hours of the morning with intermittent floggings.
According to the boy, despite his weakened body the torture continued in the morning as he was ordered to do his daily routine of fetching water with the injuries untreated.
Meanwhile, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Mr. Moses Bruce Jaja will soon have a date with the court to explain why he allowed emotions or whatever to becloud his sense of reasoning and run fowl of the law as the police have vowed to prosecute him to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to descend to the base level of animalism to the detriment of others. ###
