In a shocking case of child abuse in Lagos, a woman identified as Chinwendu Onyeneho has reportedly inflicted severe burns on her seven-year-old daughter using a hot electric iron. The punishment was allegedly meted out because the child ate meat from a cooking pot without permission.
The incident occurred on Thursday night at No. 11 Oshimyemi Street, Ogba, Lagos. It has since sparked widespread outrage and drawn the attention of both the Nigeria Police Force and a human rights group.
According to a neighbour who spoke with SaharaReporters, the incident followed a routine household task. The mother had asked the child to serve meat to her younger brother but later noticed that some of the meat had been eaten.
“The woman saw her eating it. She then plugged in the iron and used it to burn her. That’s how the girl got those marks,” the neighbour recounted.
Disturbed by the violence, the neighbour said she immediately confronted Onyeneho.
“I told her it was too much. You don’t burn a child like this over meat. But she told me it was none of my business and dared me to do my worst,” she added.
The Take-It-Back Movement, a well-known human rights organisation, swiftly reported the case to the Area G Command of the Nigeria Police. The police requested the complainant to come forward and file a formal report.
Confirming the development, Area G Commander ACP Faniyi Abayomi said on Friday that the case was under investigation.
“We have been briefed. The neighbour is here making a formal complaint. Our juvenile department is handling the matter,” he told SaharaReporters.
Attempts to reach Onyeneho for comment were unsuccessful as repeated calls to her phone went unanswered.
While the full extent of the child’s injuries remains unclear, images and videos obtained by Newsbulletin show burn marks across her arms and back.
