10th April, 2013
A housewife has been arrested by the police in Ikotun division, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, for allegedly maltreating her 10-year old housemaid, whom she brought from their village in Okigwe, Imo State, southeast Nigeria.
Mrs Chioma Egbe, who lives at 9, Hassan Olawele Street, Abaranje, Ikotun, Lagos, with the housemaid, Miracle Ndubisi, was arrested when it was reported to the police that she always beat the young girl any time she asked her to enroll her in school as she promised her parents.
The housemaid, who is receiving treatment at Manifel Medical Centre at 401, Abaranje Road Ikotun, was severely injured because the housewife allegedly tied her mouth and whipped her with a wire and a turning stick.
The girl said the incident happened on Easter Monday, when the woman asked her to sweep but before she could do it, she took a wire and a stick to beat her, alleging that the stick hit her on the eyes when she wanted to dodge.
The housemaid alleged that the woman always beats and deprives her of food for demanding to go to school but her husband was not aware of the maltreatment because he was not around.
According to Miracle, when she was brought to Lagos in December 2012 , the woman promised to enroll her in school and told her she will only take care of her baby when she returns from school.
However, she alleged that since she started living with her, the woman has been maltreating her and did not send her to school as she promised her parents in the village.
The housemaid said any time she asked her to enroll her in school, the woman allegedly beat her with a turning stick and will not give her food throughout the day.
“I did know where to go and how to go back to my village. Whenever my dad called me on phone, she would ask me to speak with him in her presence so that I will tell my dad we are living in peace” she narrated at the hospital.
Mrs. Egbe, who is a wife of a police officer, admitted she beats her out of anger and did not know she sustained such injury on her body.
The father of the victim, Vitalis Ndubisi, said he was called on phone by the hospital management that his daughter was in a critical condition.
The father expressed shock over what happened and said it was the girl’s mother who begged him to let the girl, who was in primary four before she came to Lagos, live with the housewife.
He said all he wanted was to take his daughter back to the village so that she will start school again.
The medical doctor, who has been treating the girl, Dr Sebastine Okoro, told P.M.NEWS that she was brought to the hospital in a critical condition by two men identified as Oke Adebisi and Ola Babafemi.
He said he has been battling to save her life, adding that he had to administer her with drips and injections as well as feed her because she said she had not eaten for some days before she was brought to the hospital.
Babafemi told P.M.NEWS that he met the girl with bruises all over her body at a pharmacy where he went with his friend Adebisi to buy some drugs.
He said they initially thought she sustained the injury in an accident. But when they asked her what happened, she told them that it was her madam that beat her.
He said he had to take her to the hospital where she was being treated now.
Babafemi said they reported the case to the police because the woman was not remorseful when they met her.
When P.M.NEWS went to the police station, the DPO was not around to comment on the matter.
However, police sources confirmed the incident and told the reporter that the woman will be charged to court soon.
The woman was also seen at the station where she was writing statement.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe
