By Justina Auta
The Federal Government has placed a N2 million bounty on Anambra based lawyer, Adachukwu Chukelu-Okafor, currently at large, for allegedly burning her 11-year old house help.
She was alleged to have used hot pressing iron and knife to burn and chop in pieces, the private part of her house help.
Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja, following a viral video of the girl after she was abused and returned to her aunt, who gave her out as a house help.
“Please Nigerians go out there search for this woman, bring her out, call any Police station and hand her over.
“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is offering N2 million to anybody that will lay hands on this woman and hand her over to the Police.
“We need this woman urgently because the girl is in pain and has been in the hospital. It could be your child or anybody’s relation, so let us not fold our hands.
“We will give N2 million to anybody that will give necessary information to the police or the women affairs ministry on how to get Adachukwu, the barrister, who did all those harmful things to her house help.
“This woman will be apprehended by the police who have been looking for her and she is nowhere to be found,” she said.
Kennedy-Ohanenye also urged the public to divulge any information that would enable the authorities to apprehend the suspect, who has gone into hiding, to ensure justice for the victim.
“This issue of Adachukwuchu who burnt her 11 year old house girl with hot knife, putting it in her private part and at the same time using hot pressing iron to do other damages on her is of grave concern to the Federal Government.
“I kept quiet initially because I thought that by now it would have been solved by the state since they are aware of it. For the fact that it still hasn’t been solved, I have decided to wade in.
“Some people will say why is the ministry always getting involved. Let me explain that it is within my purview to get involved in anything that involves women and children across Nigeria. I have every right to get involved in it,” she said.
The minister also revealed that the government would soon make a pronouncement on the issue of employing underage house helps that are less than 18 years, to end cases of child abuse and violation.
According to her, there will be an enforcement programme to that end to be driven by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“Again, in a couple of days, there will be a pronouncement from this ministry on taking house helps that are less than 18 years.
“We are going to put a stop to it, there will be a pronouncement within a week and an endorsement programme towards that action.
“And we will need the whistle blowers, who are Nigerians, to come and fight for your country, especially now. Come out and give information of anything that you feel will help this country,” she urged.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a video of the house help, lying on a hospital bed after being allegedly abused, went viral, sparking public outrage. (NAN)
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Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Idris Abdulrahman
