Woman who tortured maid with pestle arrested

A woman, Chinyere Ifesinachi, who tortured a maid, identified as Idinmachukwu, with a pestle and cane, has been arrested by the Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the state police command.

A viral video had shown the little girl’s swollen eyes with injuries sustained all over her body as a result of the beating.

The state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, while confirming the arrest to journalists on Saturday, said the culprit was arrested on Friday and the case transferred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department of the police command in Awka.

The suspect, a 25-year-old from Alor community, was said to have pleaded with the commissioner to forgive her, saying her “actions were orchestrated by the devil.”

She was also said to have claimed that she had beaten her maid with the pestle and cane because the help threw her child to the ground.

Obinabo, who assured the victim of safety, said she would not be returning to Ifesinachi’s house after she was taken to the hospital for medical examination.

The commissioner, who appreciated those who raised the alarm about the incident, warned that anyone caught abusing a child in the state would face the consequences.

Obinabo said: “It is also worthy of note that immediately the attention of the ministry was drawn to the incident, contacts were quickly established and a team, together with some NGOs and the police, was put together to arrest arrest the perpetrator.

Read also: Police arrests woman for maltreating five-year-old maid in Anambra

“Furthermore, the said culprit is related to the mother of the little girl which is the major reason why they accepted to send their daughter to live with her.”

She further disclosed that the victim’s medical bills had been paid by some Nigerians in diaspora, adding that she would still be undergoing medical examinations and treatments to ascertain the extent of the damage.”

According to reports, the biological parents of the maid sent their daughter to live with the suspect in March after she was delivered of a set of twins and was finding it difficult to cope.

“Our daughter left us since March, but it is very unfortunate that barely two months of her stay, she got all kinds of ill-treatment from a woman who is supposed to be her guardian,” one of the girl’s parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added.

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