Child Abuse: Woman who allegedly poured hot water on 9-yr-old maid gives her reasons

                          

Mrs. Ifeoma Mbakwe, the mother of one who allegedly poured hot water on her nine-year-old housemaid, Precious Chinwedu, leaving her scalded and almost deformed, has come out to defend her actions, saying the girl stole crayfish and that she was even the one that poured the scalding water on herself.

The sad incident which happened on December 27, 2015, on Idowu Oya Street, Agbado, Lagos State, according to the primary 3 pupil, who is currently recieving treatment at a private hospital, occurred when her mistress sent her to bring the crayfish in the kitchen.

Precious explained that when she could not find the crayfish, she went to her boss to tell her that she could not find the container but that Mbakwe accused her of eating it and angrily took a small pestle and hit her in the head.

Not done, Mbakwe, a mother of a seven-month-old baby, reportedly bit the girl in the back before pouring the hot water on her.

“She (Mbakwe) said I should bring crayfish, but I told her I did not see it. She said I ate it. She used something we used to grind pepper to hit my head. She bit me in the back and poured hot water on me,” the Orlu, Imo State, born girl narrated, adding that apart from beating her regularly, her mistress also starved her.

“She does not give me food regularly. There is no food for me in the afternoon when I come back from the school. Sometimes, she would not give me food in the evening. I was brought to Lagos in July. She always beat me. I want to go back to my parents,” she said.

But Mbakwe, in her defence, denied all the allegations levelled against her by the girl were lies and that she did not pour the hot water on the girl.

"I don't know why Precious would lie against me. I did not pour hot water on her. She was the one who poured the hot water on herself by mistake," she said.

Meanwhile, Mbakwe had been arraigned before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court on two counts of assault where she was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 after she pleaded not guilty to the counts. The case has however been adjourned till January 27, 2016.