—as Child Abuser surrenders to police
The Forum of Former Members of Enugu State House of Assembly (FOF-MENHA) has demanded from the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) the immediate suspension from the bar and withdrawal of the practicing license of an Anambra state lawyer, Mrs. Adachukwu Chukelu-Okafor who allegedly abused her 11 years old housemaid, Miss Happiness Nwafor, by inserting hot iron in her private part and other parts of the body, as well as using knifes and other dangerous objects to torture and inflict bodily harm on the minor.
Mrs. Chukelu-Okafor had been into hiding since the news broke, prompting the Ministry of Women Affairs, the FOF-MENHA, and other interest groups to place different bounties for her arrest, but the alleged culprits, on Friday, surrendered herself to the Anambra State Police command.
FOF-MENHA has however sent a message to the police authorizes assuring that the organisation is standing in support for the immediate prosecution of Mrs. Chukelu-Okafor and asked the NBA to immediately withdraw the Call to Bar certificate of Child Abuser while her prosecution and subsequent penalty are set in motion.
FOF-MENHA chairman, Dr. Josef Onoh while reacting to the news of Mrs. Chukelu-Okafor’s surrender to the police, said: “We are happy to hear that the woman has surrendered and we would also like to make it clear that it’s not just about surrendering, but the police should ensure that she is duly prosecuted. We shall follow the development and ensure that the due court process is followed and we shall not allow people to continue abusing their fellow human beings, causing mental trauma in the name of child exploitation.
“We expect the full wrath of the law to be meted on her, as we call on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to suspend her immediately because her conduct was a clear repudiation of the noble law profession. Lawyers are trained to protect the rights of others and Mrs. Adachukwu Chukelu-Okafor has abused that right by exploiting and depriving an innocent child of her child’s right. The child she was trained to protect became her very victim of exploitation and abuse.
“We thank the minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanaeye for the efforts she and her ministry have made in reaction to this ugly incident and we shall be giving the ministry and the police all the support to ensure that justice is done on this matter as soon as possible to ensure the protection and well-being of this Enugu state girl child.”
