A 26-year old woman, Mrs. Blessing Uche, has allegedly poured hot water on a six years old girl’s private part at Aboru, Alimosho area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria. She also slashed her face with blade.
The woman was said to have carried out the act on the girl (name withheld) living with her for allowing her baby fall off her hand.
P.M.NEWS gathered that the woman asked the girl to boil hot water which she poured fallen on her private part as punishment. And it caused severe burns on the girl.
Uche had claimed that when she returned from Iyana Ipaja, she discovered that her baby had fell and decided to punish the little girl.
A neighbour was said to have reported the matter to Esther Child Rights Foundation, ECRF, a non-governmental organization, campaigning against child abuse.
The little girl was rescued by the foundation on Saturday and taken to the Gowon Estate Police Station and had been under the care of the police station since then, while the woman was arrested and detained and would be arraigned in court any time from now.
The girl was not taken to the hospital after hot water was poured on her. Rather, she was taken to a chemist for attention.
A police source, who craved anonymity, described the act as wicked, saying that the woman would be arraigned at the Ojokoro Magistrate’s Court.
Director, ECRF, Mrs. Esther Ogwu told P.M.NEWS that when she got to the woman’s one room apartment, she was disgusted to see the girl in pains and unkempt, saying that “I wept when I saw her; it is the height of wickedness.
“It is terrible, I can’t believe somebody can do such a thing to a child, let alone the daughter of her senior sister. I cried the first day I saw the girl.”
Ogwu also blamed the parents of the girl for releasing her at such a tender age to stay with a relation, saying if she had her way, the parents should be detained to serve as deterrent to others.
She also alleged that after pouring hot water on the girl, Uche used blade to slash her face, describing the act as cruel and that such a woman should not be allowed to go free.
Ogwu stated that the woman and her husband had been begging since the incident occurred but insisted that the offence must be punishable to deter others from doing the same thing.
“We will surely charge her to court for pouring hot water on the little girl staying with her and for using razor blade to slash her face,” she said.