Minister places N2m bounty on lawyer over Alleged Child abuse

Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, Minister of Women Affairs, has declared wanted, as well as placed a N2 million bounty on a female lawyer, who allegedly abused an 11-year-old house girl (name withheld) in Anambra state.

The lawyer, Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, was said to have used a broken bottle, knife and electric iron to “brutalise” the child who began staying with the lawyer on 5 January.

The incident happened in Akpaka, Onitsha in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The suspect, Mrs Cukelu-Okafor, reportedly accused the survivor of touching her daughter.

Ify Obinabo, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra, had since rescued the survivor from the suspect, according to a statement by the commissioner’s media aide, Chidinma Ikeanyionwu.

Briefing newsmen Monday in Abuja, the Minister said: “I decided to keep quiet on an issue, thinking that by now it should have been solved, the issue of one Mrs Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, who burnt a 10 year-old house girl with hot knife, putting it in her private part and at the same time using hot iron to do a lot of damages on this girl’s body.

“I kept quiet because I thought by now it should have been solved. For the fact that up to date it has not been solved, I’ve decided to weigh in. Some people ask why the Women Affairs Ministry is always getting involved in things. It is within my purview to get involved.

“Everything that concerns women and children across Nigeria, I have every right to get involved in it. See this one I kept quiet. What has happened till date? Nothing! So I’m not going to listen anymore. I am going to weigh into any issue that concerns women and children across this country.

“So, I am declaring Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor wanted. With the President we have now, you have to fight for your rights because he listens. When you have a president that listens, it is an opportunity I don’t want Nigerians to miss. This is the time to come out, stand firmly and defend yourself. Defend what is meant for you, defend good positive actions meant for you because the President is all there to care for you.
“Nigerians should go out and search for this woman, bring her out, call any police station and hand her over. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is offering N2 million to anybody that will lay hands on this woman and hand her over to the police. We need this woman urgently because this girl is in pain. She has been in the hospital. It could be your child tomorrow. It could be anybody’s relation.”