Maureen Madu, a veteran Super Falcons striker and
five-time Olympian has demanded justice over her allegedly dehumanisation in
the hands of security personnel following an uninvestigated petition against
her by a parent.
Madu who is the proprietor of Maureen Kiddies Football
Academy for boys and girls made the call on Sunday while interacting with
sports journalists in Awka on Sunday.
Narrating her ordeal, Madu said one man identified as
Uchenna handed over his daughter over to her in Awka in June this year for
basic training in football in her camp during the long holiday.
She said she invited the man to come to the camp and
where she was and how she was fairing several times but he declined and never
visited but rather sent money for purchase of her needs including underwear and
sanitary pads.
Maureen said when it was time for school resumption,
she invited Uchenna to come and take her child, but rather asked her to look
for a school and enroll the child which she also turned down saying it was not
her duty.
“That was how this man abandoned his daughter with me
for four months without showing up until he sent a cab driver to come and pick
and take her home but the girl said she was not going to join and because she
did not know the driver, that was late September,” she said.
Continuing, the grassroots football coach said nothing
was heard from the man until Oct. 9 when security personnel stormed the Ozubulu
Camp of the Academy, beating up everybody in sight including the players and
taking her away in handcuffs.
Maureen who showed the petition against her said the
officers beat players with gunbutts, took their phones and smashed them and
left some of them wounded and in the pool of their own blood.
The petition signed by B.B.M. Maduekwe Esq dated Oct.
7, 2024 was entitled a case of “Armed Gangsterism, Cultism. Attempt Murder
Child Trafficking And Threat To Life” against Maureen Madu.
Maureen said the personnel who neither investigated
the allegations nor came with any warrant forced themselves into the camp,
traumatised the players, seized their phones, handcuffed her like a common
criminal and threw her into their vehicle.
After feeding the girl for four months without paying
any upkeep, we went to bring men from Anti Cult Unit, Ukpo.
“They handcuffed me like a common thief, seized my
phone and those of my players, they beat them and some of them ended up in
hospital.
“AllI ask for justice, my image has been severely
damaged, I feel very embarrassed, the Police should return all the phones in
their possession.
“The man who abandoned his child and petitioned
against me should should be investigated and made to defend his frivolous
claims ” she said.
Madu recently represented Avaldsnes IL, a first
Division team based in Norway’s West Coast before returning to Nigeria to
contribute to the development of football.
Comments:
Leave a Reply