* The aunt's aggression extended even to her own husband who tried to intervene.
* She physically assaulted both him and the child, instilling deep fear in the entire extended family.
In the turbulent days of early 2000, when Kaduna erupted in deadly religious riots over the introduction of Sharia law, resulting in estimates of 1,000 to 5,000 deaths across waves of violence from February to May, terrified parents sought refuge for their children away from the chaos.
A young girl, Udara Mmicha Odogwu, was sent to stay with her uncle and his wife, hoping the family home would offer protection amid the streets filled with fear and conflict.
What unfolded instead became a lifelong scar on her heart and a stark reminder of how danger can lurk within the very walls meant to shield.
The nightmare began one ordinary day when the aunt accused the Udara of neglecting to assist her own daughter with homework while focusing on her studies.
The punishment was a merciless flogging that left the child in pain and terror.
Desperate, Udara ran to her uncle for help.
He intervened protectively, knowing her father would demand accountability.
Together they confronted his wife.
In a rage, the aunt grabbed him by the shirt, pushed both husband and Udara onto the sofa, and beat them both.
Udara recalled in shock, 'I have never in my life seen such a wife.'
The uncle's attempt to shield his niece only exposed the household's toxic dynamic.
'All my uncles and aunties were scared of her till she di£d,' she wrote.
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