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.
