Anambra-Based Female Lawyer Paraded for Allegedly Brutalising 11-Year-Old Maid with Hot Knife, Electric Iron

The Nigerian Police have paraded Mrs. Adachukwu Chukelu Okafor, a female lawyer accused of brutally assaulting her 11-year-old maid, Happiness Nwafor, using a hot knife and electric iron. The parade took place at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The incident, reported on February 21, detailed the alleged maltreatment suffered by young Happiness, who was taken into the lawyer’s household to serve as a maid. The Anambra State Police had launched a manhunt on February 12 to apprehend Mrs. Okafor, who was reportedly on the run.

Earlier protests by women’s groups, including Umuada Awgu Progressive Association and Umuada Awgu Global, had drawn attention to the case on February 7. The groups rallied against the assault and brutalization of the 11-year-old home help.

Happiness, the victim, was said to have endured severe abuse as a punishment for touching Mrs. Okafor’s daughter, allegedly involving a hot knife and an electric iron. The lawyer, who had brought Happiness into her home in January 2024 to assist with house chores, was declared wanted by both federal and state Ministries of Women Affairs, with a bounty of N2 million on her head.

Mrs. Okafor voluntarily surrendered to the police, who promptly detained her before transferring her to the Force Headquarters. Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by Head of Police Campaign against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV) Bisi Okuobi, vowed to ensure a thorough prosecution of the case.

Egbetokun emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence and abuse of minors, stating that the Force would not hesitate to bring justice in such cases. The Inspector General of Police addressed the matter in the presence of the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy.

Chief Superintendent of Police Bisi Okuobi detailed the gruesome acts allegedly committed by Mrs. Okafor, following a complaint lodged by the Minister of Women Affairs. The incidents involved tying, flogging, burning with a hot knife, and using a hot electric iron on the maid, ultimately leading to her confinement without food.

The police officer recounted the public outcry triggered by the viral video showing the injuries sustained by the 10-year-old maid. Mrs. Okafor reportedly handed the traumatized girl over to her aunt, naked. The burns and other injuries led to a public alarm, attracting attention from passersby and prompting the involvement of law enforcement and state authorities.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy, had taken the initiative, offering a N2 million bounty on Mrs. Okafor’s head and petitioning the Inspector General of Police for swift action. The arrest followed, and the suspect is now in custody as the legal process unfolds, while the focus remains on the recovery of the young victim.