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The Government of Anambra State, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, has narrated how it managed to rescue one Chidiebere Otenyi, a victim of domestic abuse residing in Ezinifite, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
A woman, identified as Martha Umenweke, has also been arrested and handed over to the police for further interrogation and prosecution at the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Magistrates’ Court in Awka.
According to a statement made available to City Round on Friday by Chidimma Ikeanyionwu, the media aide to the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, the rescue of the victim and arrest of the suspect were carried out after a whistleblower brought the development to the attention of the ministry.
Ikeanyionwu explained that during interrogation, Umenweke said the maid stole her money, hence the “inflicting” of the injuries on her. She also said the commissioner, who was “furious over the dastardly act, vowed to deal with the perpetrator”.
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The statement which was made available to The Eastern Updates on Saturday; read, “Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, has rescued one Chidiebere Otenyi, another victim of domestic abuse in Ezinifite, Aguata Local Government Area of the state. This they did when a whistleblower who witnessed the ugly incident brought it to the attention of the commissioner.
“Reacting in her office, in Awka, after the team sent from the ministry had rescued the girl, Obinabo, who was furious over the dastardly act vowed to deal with the perpetrator, Mrs Martha Umenweke. Obinabo, who was angry over the extent of damage given to the girl, stated that the culprit wouldn’t go scot-free since she had the mind to inflict injuries and pain on another person”
According to the statement, the victim, a 19-year-old from Nkanu, Enugu State, said that her madam accused her of stealing her N25,000, which she said she did not steal, and that it prompted her (Umenweke) to beat her to a pulp.
“Chidiebere, who was still in pain at the time of the rescue, said she’s lived with Martha for a year and four months but got severely punished at the slightest provocation, especially being starved.
“On why she brutalised her ward, Martha Umenweke, who is in her late 60s, claimed that Chidiebere stole her money. It was also gathered during the rescue that Martha had an alibi, one Mr David, who, after she had beaten the girl, helped to tie her hands and legs,” the statement added.
In February, an Anambra State-based lawyer was accused of abusing her 11-year-old house help, Happiness Nwafor, with various objects, like a broken bottle, knife, and electric iron to harm her, in response to an incident involving her daughter.
The matter drew the attention of the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, who placed a N2m bounty on the woman after she went into hiding, prompting her to surrender herself to the police a few days later.
