A lady working at a hotel in Ebocha in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nnnena Onu, has been allegedly tortured to death by her employer following her failure to account for the sum of N17,500.

Our Correspondent gathered that the victim was locked up in a room in the hotel without food and water as she passed out due to exhaustion.

It was learnt that after paying the said sum, Onu pleaded with her employer to free her on the third day as she was getting weak, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

The girl was later rushed to a hospital after passing out; she died at the hospital.

But some persons in the area claimed that she was not tortured, saying she slumped and was rushed to the hospital where she died.

Meanwhile, a group, Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, has called on the police to immediately open an investigation into the incident.

The Chairman of the group, Enefaa Georgewill, while speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the police must identify everyone culpable and bring them to justice.

Georgewill said, “The Rivers State Civil Society Organisations call on the state Commissioner of Police to investigate, arrest and prosecute all those involved in the torture to death of Miss Nnnena Onu.

“From our investigation, we gathered that late Miss Nnnena was allegedly held for four days in a confined room simply because she could not account for N17,500 belonging to her employer.

“This is barbaric, to say the least, in this time and age that inhuman treatment meted out to slaves in the 17th and 18th centuries can be deployed against a Nigerian citizen in the 21st century.”

The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, adding that the manager of the hotel had been arrested.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated, “Yes, I can confirm. The manager of the hotel has been arrested. Investigation is ongoing.” (Text, excluding headline: Saturday PUNCH)

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