CHILD ABUSE: "FG PARADES LAWYER WHO INSERTED HOT KNIFE INTO MAID'S PRIVATE PART - ENUGU DEPUTY MINORITY LEADER, ENEH LAUDS WOMEN AFFAIRS MINISTER, OHANENYE FOR TAKING UP THE CASE, DESCRIBES THE TURN OF EVENT 'AS AN ACT OF GOD'S WILL'

CHILD ABUSE: "FG PARADES LAWYER WHO INSERTED HOT KNIFE INTO MAID'S PRIVATE PART - ENUGU DEPUTY MINORITY LEADER, ENEH LAUDS WOMEN AFFAIRS MINISTER, OHANENYE FOR TAKING UP THE CASE, DESCRIBES THE TURN OF EVENT 'AS AN ACT OF GOD'S WILL'

Published by JANE-CARESTV, Saturday March 2nd, 2024.

The Deputy Minority leader of the Enugu State House of Assembly and Member representing Awgu North Constituency has lauded the Minster of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye over her efforts in ensuring that justice is served. 

Speaking with JANE-CARESTV, the deputy minority leader, who is the chairman, House Committee on children, gender affairs, and social welfare, expressed confidence that Happiness Nwafor will surely get the needed justice with this new development. Speaking further, the deputy minority leader described the turn of event "as an act of God's will." God of little children and the poor is at work, Mrs Eneh added. 

Recall that Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, who was arraigned on wednesday, February 21, before Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, on a-two-count charge bordering on willful infliction of physical injuries on the body of one Happiness Nwafor, an offence punishable under section 4(1) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection), Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 2017, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge brought against her. 

The Anambra Court refused to grant her bail, following the bail application moved by her lawyer, Barr. Chijioke Nwankwo. 

The matter, which was subsequently adjourned to Wednesday, February 28, 2024, for ruling, took a new dimension when the delegates from the Federal Government appeared in court to demand that the case be transferred to Abuja for proper follow-up and action on the matter.

Following the update from Abuja, News has it that :- 

The Federal Government, on Friday, March 1, paraded an Anambra State lawyer, Adachukwu Okafor, who allegedly inserted a hot knife into the private part of a 10-year-old maid.

Okafor, who also pressed the buttock and face of the ten-year-old maid with hot electric iron, was paraded on Friday in Abuja.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, who stated that President Bola Tinubu has already said the poor should breathe is determined to walk the talk in ensuring that Nigerians are respected and treated with compassion.

She assures that the victim will get justice “we assure you that we will get justice for the little girl. Before she was brought here, all her bank accounts (Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor) were blocked. She couldn’t access her money, and she won’t access it until the case is over because that was what gave her the guts to hide," the news stated. 

“My ministry will take action against anyone tempers with any child or woman,” the minister stressed.

On her part, the suspect alleged that the victim was caught having sex with her 6-year-old son. “She was having sex with my 6-year-old son in the car." I bought a cane and flogged her on her buttocks. I was cooking at the same time, my son told me that it wasn’t the first time that she touched his pen*s whenever she was bathing him and the girl confirms it too, Adachukwu stated in her defence on the alleged child abuse matter. 

“She (Happiness Nwafor) tried to escape through the kitchen door, and the door was locked. She mistakenly pushed the food on the gas and mistakenly sat on the burning gas. I did not use a knife to cut her clitoris, I did not use iron on her.” Adachukwu said. 

She (Adachukwu Okafor) said she was not happy with the whole thing because that was not what she envisioned.

The inspector general of Police Kayode Egbetokun described the case as child abuse/attempted murder.

“On Feb. 5th 2024, the internet was awoken by the news of a ten-year-old who had burns all over her body. The little girl was a maid to one barrister Adachukwu Okafor, she was a maid for 2 weeks," news stated.

She inserted a hot knife into her private part, poured grinded pepper, and pressed the maid’s cheeks and buttocks with a hot electric iron.

From the afternoon of the incident to the evening of the next day, she locked the maid in her toilet without food after which she took the child naked the following day to her aunt, Ifeoma Muoghalu who gave her out as a maid.

“When all efforts to arrest her proved abortive, the honourable minister of Women Affairs placed a 2-million-naira bounty on her and also petitioned the inspector general of police. When the woman saw that the heat on her was much, she showed up from her hiding and was arrested.

Click on the link below to watch the video where the minister of women affairs declared 2M bounty on the suspect head.

https://fb.watch/qA78rT-Q27/?mibextid=JpSO2FKliISFprGe

Unfortunately, the little girl is in the hospital with the hope that she recuperates fast because of the intense burn on her, no one knows the extent of the internal injury inflicted on her by the hot knife that was used on her.

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 to ensure that justice is served to the little girl.

"The IGP stressed that this will serve a note of warning to those who use little children for child labour, noting that the Nigerian police have zero tolerance for domestic violence and abuse of vulnerable persons," news stated. 

Commending the minister of women affairs, Kennedy Ohanenye, wife of the Anambra state governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, wife of the Enugu state governor, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, Anambra state commissioner for women affairs and social welfare, Ify Obinabo for their efforts, support and motherly compassion so far on the little girl since the ugly incident happened, Mrs Eneh assures them that if the little girl succeeds in getting the needed justice, their names will forever be written in the good book and hearts of Ndi Awgu, Enugu State, Nigerians and the global world at large.

"Continue to make the women folk proud. Your exemplary styles of leadership have significantly proven to the global world that including women in governance is key to societal development and nation-building. Be rest assured of our prayers and support always," Mrs Eneh assures them.

Click on the link below to watch the video clip from the Federal Ministry of women affairs, Abuja.

https://fb.watch/qA6mhhG4K8/?mibextid=JpSO2FKliISFprGe

#OkolikeMichael

Media Assistant to the Deputy Minority Leader ENHA.