Woman allegedly inserts hot metal into five-year-old niece’s private part in Ekiti

A Benue woman, Mrs. Esther Abgundu, who lives in Ijelu in Oye Local Council of Ekiti State, has allegedly inserted hot metal into a five-year-old niece’s private part because she allegedly ate out of her daughter’s food.

According to a petition by the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPI) in the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Abgundu had earlier put pepper in the girl’s private part after beating her.

The JDPI, in the petition to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) signed by its Director, Rev. Father Emmanuel Akingbade, said: “ She is a niece to Mrs Abgundu . They reside together at Ijelu-Ekiti in Oye Local Council of Ekiti State. The incident occurred on November 26, 2017. The victim was babysitting Mrs. Abgundu’s baby and in the course of feeding the baby, the victim took a spoon of the baby’s food and ate.”

The commission said: “This annoyed the respondent so much that she inserted pepper in her private part. The respondent further put a knife in the fire and inserted the hot knife into the victim’s private part. She equally pressed the hot knife on the outer part of her private part. Still not satisfied, she was beaten mercilessly and urged not to cry aloud.”

JDPI said when it received the report of the incident, its officials visited the community and the traditional ruler, Oba Isaac Adetoyinbo Ajayi.

It said: “The Elejelu of Ijelu-Ekiti confirmed the report and further informed us that he had notified the Divisional Police Officer of Ilupeju Ekiti of the incident. The police later sent officers to arrest the respondent a day after the incidence was reported at the palace.”

Fr Akingbade added that the monarch confirmed also that the victim was at the night of the incident rushed to the Ijelu-Ekiti Health Centre for medical care.”

According to the JDPI Director, “We took further step of visiting the health centre for verification and questioning”, and further explained that the officials of the centre as well as the relatives of the victim, all confirmed the incident.

It lamented the girl had been a victim of “frequent inhuman and degrading treatments,” saying “we took a closer look at the victim to confirm the incidence of maltreatment, child abuse and molestation.”

JDPI also alleged that Mrs. Abgundu “was released barely a few hours after her arrest and is walking freely while the victim is neither able to walk nor sit well. He said the victim still groans in much pains and discomfort.”

The JDPI described the alleged actions of Mrs. Abgundu against little girl as a “case of inhuman treatment, gross disregard to human life and flagrant abuse of her human rights as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 199, as amended.”

It called on the NHRC to intervene in the matter of cruelty against the victim by ensuring that the respondent is brought to book to serve as deterrent to whoever still engages in acts of inhuman and degrading treatment of others, especially children.”