A 12-year old girl, Precious Nwali was reportedly battered by her mistress for allegedly stealing her N26,000 at Nzekwe Street, near Akwata meat market in Awka, Anambra state.
The victim, from Ebonyi state, was allegedly stripped naked and red pepper applied on her private part by the mistress, Mrs Charity Effiong who later drove her away from the house around 10.30pm.
It was gathered that the victim, a primary four pupil was later found by a good Samaritan while wandering and crying along the market.
Narrating her ordeal, the victim, who sustained series of marks on her body, said she had severally suffered maltreatment in the hands of her mistress.
“She always flogs me with cable wire. She has her own children but she hardly beats them nor sends them to any errand,” she wept soberly.
Also speaking, the woman that picked her up, Mrs. Amaka Okoye, said it took her about thirty minutes to wash off the grounded pepper in her private part.
On his part, Pastor Effiong Inyang, who linked her up with the mistress, said the victim’s parents requested she stayed with her following the family’s predicament.
He said, “All her siblings are being given out because her parents are struggling to survive due to the condition of the family.
“The father has been under severe pain having sustained injuries after several falls from the palm tree.”
He said he had already contacted the victim’s parents who had requested she be brought back to them.
Reacting, the Secretary, Anambra State Child Protection Network, Lady Hope Okoye, described the action as a total violation to the state child right act of 2004.
“Stuffing Cameroon pepper in the girl’s private part is another level of abuse which has psychological, physical and emotional consequences.
“I don’t know why this should be swept under the carpet for a woman to afford to do this inhumane treatment on the little child,” she noted.
The Nation, however, learnt from police source that the suspect had been detained on the order of the DPO in charge of the Central Police Station, Awka.
“It was not long after the matter was reported in the police station that the madam appeared, claiming the housemaid was abducted,” the source added.
The Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident, but said the suspect denied applying pepper in the victim’s private part.
He said she claimed that the victim stole the sum of N26,000 from her house, adding that she removed her undies in the course of searching for the money.
He said, “She said the girl stole her N26,000 which led her to remove her pant so she can see whether she hid the money inside her pant.”
Mohammed said the case was being investigated.
