Anambra governor’s wife, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has condemned the violent abuse of a child live-in maid by her guardian at G.R.A, Onitsha. A viral amateur video of a girl roughly between the age of nine to ten years, who appeared with gory iron-stamp burns all over her body, had trended attracting public outrage.
The child maid was said to have been allegedly inflicted by her guardian, Mrs Adachukwu Okafor.
The alleged culprit, now at large, is said to be living with the maid at her Akpaka, 33 G.R.A, Onitsha residence, and got enraged when the maid, who was giving her child a bath, mistakenly touched his private part.
It was then that Mrs Okafor, said to be a legal practitioner and a pastor in a local church, used everything within her reach, including a charged laundry iron, to feast on the maid.
Speaking shortly after directing the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare to take custody of the child and begin immediate treatment on her wounds and also conduct tests to ascertain if she sustained internal injuries, Mrs Soludo described the guardian’s act as barbaric, and heinous and vowed to ensure that full justice is served.
She expressed deep sadness about the current condition of the girl and called on anyone who has information on how to get hold of the fleeing guardian to open up as a matter of conscience and right reasons.
“I was shocked to see the kind of injuries on the body of that child and more shocked to find out who perpetrated the barbaric act,” Mrs Soludo said.
The governor’s wife, while stating that the state remains a red zone for abusers and those who take every opportunity to pounce on the rights of women and children, noted that the government will leave no stone unturned in dealing with anyone who has no respect for human dignity.
Mrs Soludo further re-echoed her appeal for parents to take serious consideration of their child’s age before giving them out as maids or servants and to also know the real temperaments of their child’s guardian.
“It is worrisome that this has become a recurring incident in the state because our parents have not harkened to our call.
“There is no game giving out your child to someone who will kill them. Some of these children are even given out as maid at very tender ages that they should be with their parents and learn life-long virtues and morals.
“They go into homes to begin to work as labourers for adults who can take care of themselves.
“We must as parents be careful as to who we give out our children. As difficult as the times are are, we must keep them at those tender age to take care of them,” she emphasized.
