A 35-year-old staff of the National Examination Council (NECO) is currently on hot seat as she is being quizzed by the Niger State Child Right Protection Agency for abusing an 8-year-old who works for her as an house-girl.
The NECO staff identified as Grace Edeh was said to have burnt the young girl with hot charcoal in the palms because she was fond of stealing meat from the pot.
The Director-General of the agency, Mrs Mariam Kolo revealed that the accused has three children of her own and is even breast-feeding one of them at present.
Edeh was arrested by the National Human Rights Commission and later brought to the agency after a neighbour saw the girl’s burnt hands and scars on her thigh in the market and interrogated her.
The maid led the woman to her boss’s house and she was reported.
The matter was reported to the National Human Rights Commission and later transferred to Niger State Child Right Protection Agency
When interrogated, Edeh explained that she ill-treated the girl out of anger as she was fond of stealing meat, adding that the girl was also caught stealing meat from the neighbour’s kitchen.
This offence however contravenes Section 26 of the Child’s Right Act and Edeh will be arraigned soon.