A
pregnant mother in Abuja faces criminal charges for a vicious early
morning attack on her 16-year-old house help, who she attacked with
boiling hot water, severely injuring the girl for waking up late.
Mrs Kemi Egukole
A 36-year-old Abuja-based pregnant woman identified as Kemi
Egbukole, is currently facing criminal charges for a vicious early
morning attack on her 16-year-old house-help, Hope David, who she
attacked with hot boiling water which badly burnt her breasts just
because she woke up late to do her house chores.
The Police said Mrs. Egbukole, who is being investigated for child
abuse and trafficking offences by the Police, National Human Rights
Commission and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in
Persons, NAPTIP, would be charged to court after investigations are
concluded.
The mother-of-one who had earlier denied responsibility for the
assault, said she attacked Hope because she failed to wake up early.
Lambert Oparah, the Deputy Director, Protection and Investigations,
National Human Rights Commission, said Mrs. Egbukole later admitted the
attack, but claimed it was an accident, and that Hope was immediately
taken for medical treatment, noting that the medication given to Hope
was faulty. "She was taken to a chemist, they put plasters around her breast which was not quite good," he said.
Neighbours at Minta 1 Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja, where the family
lives, said Mrs. Egbukole had been a notorious child abuser, who
repeatedly attacked Hope with dangerous objects including rods.
One of the neighbours who reported the matter to the National Human
Rights Commission and the National Agency for the prohibition of
Trafficking in Persons told correspondents that she took the decision
after seeing the serious injury inflicted on Hope’s breast.
The victims body damaged by the boiling hot water
The neighbour said that she was startled by Hope’s screaming on March 3 morning, when the girl ran out from her home. "She ran out of the house and came to my side. Mrs. Egbukole was still trying to flog her with a mop stick," the neighbour said.
The neighbour said at first she thought Hope was attacked with pepper or cold water as in the past. "I
thought it was just water and pepper, or something, until the girl
screamed back again in my room and I shouted, ‘What!’ the breast has
pilled already.
"So I shouted and said ‘Come you did this thing to this girl
and you still want to flog her again? I will report you to the police
and NAPTIP; at that point she started begging and immediately she
started telling lies," the neighbour said.
The Abuja police spokesperson, Manzah Adjuguri, said Mrs. Egbukole
told the police that the pastor who allegedly brought Hope from Nasarawa
was her uncle.
He said the police were yet to contact the girl’s parents. He however assured the matter will be charged after investigation.
"It is a matter of concern to the command based on the rate of
injuries that has been sustained by the girl. And for us, here at the
command, justice must take its full course," he stated.
The spokesperson of NAPTIP, Joshua Emerole, said Hope would remain
under the agency’s care until the end of the investigation, adding that
Mrs. Egbukole will face other charges including the violation of the
Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015.
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