Police on Friday paraded an Anambra-based lawyer, Mrs. Adachukwu Okafor, who was recently apprehended for allegedly assaulting her 10-year-old housemaid.
Okafor, presented herself at the police station after she had been declared wanted and a N2 million bounty placed on her for allegedly using a red-hot knife, electric pressing iron, and other items to assault the underage girl.
The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, while addressing the media at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) on Friday in Abuja, said it was a case of attempted murder and child abuse.
Adejobi, who was represented at the briefing by the National Coordinator, Police Campaign against Cultism and Other Vices, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi, said the girl worked for two weeks in the suspect’s house before the incident occurred.
According to him, the suspect alleged that she saw the housemaid fondling the penis of her six-year-old son while bathing him.
The spokesman said: “On January 29, 2024, this suspect accused her of this and proceeded to tie her hands, and mouth and flogged her. She also inserted a hot knife into her private part and poured ground pepper into it.
“She then plugged an electric iron into the socket, allowed it to be hot, and used it on the maid’s cheek and buttocks.
“After causing the maid trauma, she now locked her up in the toilets from the afternoon of the incident till the evening of the following day without food.”
“The victim’s aunt raised an alarm which attracted passersby when the suspect returned her to the house after inflicting grievous injuries on her.
“It was at that point that she dropped the young girl with the aunt without cloth with the burns on the cheek, and buttocks with blood and water oozing out of her private part that the aunts raised an alarm.
“This attracted passersby who brought out their phones recorded and it went straight to the social space. This attracted the police and Commissioner for Women Affairs in Anambra State.”
He reaffirmed the police’s readiness to prosecute the case and get justice for the girl.
“Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has assured Nigerians that a diligent prosecution of this case will be carried out and no iota of the incident will be swept under the carpet.
“And we will ensure that justice is served on the little girl. And this should serve as a note of warning to those who use little children for child labor,” Adejobi added.