Woman arrested for burning eight-year-old maid’s palms over meat

A 35-year-old staff of the National Examination Council, is being quizzed by the Niger state Child Right Protection Agency for burning with hot charcoal the palms of her eight- year old house-maid, accused of stealing meat from the pot.

The Director-General of the agency, Mariam Kolo, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Saturday, said the accused, identified as Grace Edeh, is a staff of NECO.

The married woman has three children of her own.

She said the mother of three was arrested by the staff of the Minna branch of the National Human Rights Commission and later brought to the agency.

She said that a good samaritan had seen the girl’s burnt hands and scars on her thigh in the market and interrogated her. The maid led the woman to her boss’s house.

Mariam Kolo said the matter was reported to the National Human Rights Commission, which transferred the case to the agency.

Mrs. Kolo said the offence contravenes Section 26 of the Child’s Right Act and warned parents and guardians against maltreating children.

For now, the contrite Grace Edeh may get a slap on the wrist for the offence as she has begged Niger state Child Right Protection Agency for leniency.

She pleaded she should be saved from being docked in the court as she is a nursing mother.

The agency has consequently ordered her to give medicare to her eight-year old victim.

The eight-year-old housemaid would attend the counselling unit of the agency in the next few weeks and would later be reunited with her biological parents.

Mrs. Edeh had told the agency that she ill-treated the girl out of anger as she was fond of stealing meat from the pot of soup.

She said the girl was also caught stealing meat from the neighbour’s kitchen.