Women Affairs Minister Places N2m Bounty on Alleged Child Abuse Culprit

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy- Ohanenye has placed the sum of N2 million as bounty over an alleged child abuse culprit in Anambra state with the name Adachukwu Okafor.

The woman who is said to be a practicing lawyer was reported to have used a hot knife on the body and private parts of a 10-year old girl who was living with her  family as a house help.

The minister who mentioned this yesterday in her office, said the accused has been on the run, but has been boasting on social media platforms that nothing would happen after the heinous act. She added that the woman needs to be apprehended.

She said: “Please Nigerians, go out there and search for this woman and hand her over to the police. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is offering the sum of N2 million to anybody that will lay hands on this woman and hand her over to us through the police.

“We need this woman urgently because this girl is in pain and has been in the hospital. It could be your child or anybody’s relation. Let’s not fold our hands. There’s N2,000,000 for anybody that will give necessary information to the ministry.

“It is a barrister that committed such a heinous crime against that girl, a house help and this happened in Anambra state. The police have been looking for her and she’s nowhere to be found,” she added.

In the same vein, the minister said in the next seven days, there will be a pronouncement from the ministry on the ban of underage children as house helps.

She said the ministry will write to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) on the needed to sensitive its members and would also work hand in hand with the ministry of justice and the attorney general in bringing an end to the menace.

“Again in a couple of days, there will be a pronouncement from this ministry on the issue of taking house helps that are less than 18 years. We are going to stop it.

“There will be an enforcement programme towards that action. We will also need whistle-blowers and we call on all Nigerians to fight for the country, especially now that there’s a president willing to solve problems,” she added.