•Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye
Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye has joined the manhunt and announced N2 million bounty on an Anambra based lawyer, Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, now on a run, who allegedly used broken bottle, knife and electric iron to “brutalise” the child said to be her niece.
In a viral video, the girl was seen with gory iron-stamp burns all over her body, allegedly inflicted on her by her guardian, Mrs. Cukelu-Okafor, whom she began living with on 5 January, 2024, reports Daily Sun.
The incident happened in Akpaka, Onitsha in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, where Mrs Cukelu-Okafor, reportedly accused the survivor of touching her daughter.
Speaking to newsmen 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 wage in. Some people will say why is Women Affairs always getting involved in things, please let me explain to Nigerians. 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 wage into any issue that concerns women and children across this country.
“So I am declaring Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor wanted, asking Nigerians…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.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cares so use this opportunity and do the needed. Please Nigerians go out there 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 hand on this woman and hand her over to the police. We need this woman urgently because this girl is in pains. This girl has been in the hospital. It could be your child tomorrow. It could be anybody’s relation.
“So let us not fold our hands. N2 million to anybody that will give necessary information to the police or to Women Affairs ministry on how to get Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, the barrister that did all those harmful things on that small child, the house helps… This happened in Anambra State, N2 million will be given to anybody that will give us information on how this woman will be apprehended by the police because police have been looking for her and she’s nowhere to be found.”
Kennedy-Ohaneye said in a couple of days she will be making a pronouncement to put a stop to the use of under 18 as House helps.
She said: “And again, we want to equally let you know that in a couple of days there will be a pronouncement from this ministry on issues of taking house helps that are less than 18 years. We’re going to put a stop to it. There’ll be a pronouncement on that within a week from now. And there’ll be a an enforcement programme towards that action. And we will need whistleblowers who are Nigerians, Nigerians come out and fight for your country. Especially now that you have a president who listens to your problems, who is eager to solve them. Are we going to fold our hands and allow this opportunity pass time? We should come out. Don’t rely on anybody or don’t fear nobody come out and give information of anything that you feel will help this country or any money that were meant for you and it was not given to you, shout it out. If you don’t know anywhere to go to “, come to Federal Minister of Women affairs, and you will see immediate action.”
Reminded that at the time the video started trending there were no specifics on when the incident happened and if the time lapse would not affect it she said, “I’m not actually here to get anybody in trouble or report anybody. What I’m here now is whether it happened today, yesterday or day after yesterday, what I’m after right now is let us get it solved because it has not been solved, the girl is in the hospital. As we speak the woman has not been found. So it has not been solved. I want to solve it because to me, I know I’ve been hearing this for more than a month now. I’ve seen it on internet. So I’m not specific about the particular period it happened What I’m specific about is from now on, we need it solved immediately and urgently.
On the report that the culprit though in hiding has been boasting on the internet that she is touchable, the minister said: “Yes, I got this information from the commissioner for women affairs, Anambra state where it happened, who has been following up seriously, but has been frustrated here and there on how to get this matter achieved. And she told me the woman has been on internet boasting that nobody can do anything to her and she has equally put off her main phone she was using when this thing happened and got herself another line.
“So that is part of the reason the commissioner is frustrated in this matter. Which is why we have to put up this bounty for anybody that will help us and help the police to get this lady. And note too that a child belongs to the state. So we have every right to fight for this child’s life. Gone are those days that Nigerian children and women will be treated as if they belong to nobody, they belong the state.”
Asked who she will be collaborating with to end the practice of under age children being used as house helps especially when agreements are usually amongst family members, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye said: “We are going to collaborate with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice which we are ready doing. Because I told you people before about the mobile court, these are part of the things the mobile court will do for us. So we’re collaborating with them. And there’s a law against taking a child under 18 years as a house help. There’s a lot to that effect. So we are only trying to enforce that law. We’re going to make it more visible and enforce it.“
Asked why she waited this long to respond she said: “I found out the Anambra government and commissioner for women affairs were on it. I couldn’t have gotten involved because the lady (commissioner for women affairs) actually knows how to handle some of these things. But unfortunately, she’s being frustrated one way or the other. So we needed a federal government to get it done.”
Reminded that the mother of the victim said that Mrs. Chukelu-Okafor, who inflicted such injuries on the child is her sister and but nothing has been done, she said: “No it is not true, she (Mrs. Adachukwu Chukelu Okafor) ran away. The only way to get her is if we alert Nigerians, push out these things and make it to go viral with her picture and the bounty. That is the only way people she is staying around or when she goes to the markets, you will get some response. For now, she’s nowhere to be found. And we are writing a letter to Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) today. Because for a few times now, lawyers have really committed some hideous crimes, and we’ve not really heard from NBA, so we’re going to do a letter to them explaining to them how important it is for them to come out and condemn and take the necessary legal action against those people. Because I am a lawyer, for instance, we have a body which is NBA, which can call back your certificate and get you never to practice again. So in normal circumstances, a lawyer is supposed to be very careful of the kinds of actions you take or the way you behave.
“So I ‘ve called the NBA president. Probably he’s in the court. He didn’t pick, I have sent him a text I’m expecting his callback. But I’m going to do a formal letter to tell him so that he will hold his own press conference, condemn this and invite the people to the panel where the necessary actions will be taken. Because whoever that has committed, this kind of crime does not deserve to be a lawyer. You know the law but you still went ahead that’s why they call us learned. Learned means you know the law. Somebody educated may not know the consequences of some of the laws. The person may be ignorant but the lawyer cannot way that you’re ignorant and committed crime.
“So these are some of the measures we are taking now. This is Nigerians time because we have a listening President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he cares. So we’re definitely going to utilise this opportunity and get things done better and right.”
The minister also announced of plans to financially empower the victim’s family to start small business in order to stop them from releasing their children to abusive relatives.
Governor Charles Soludo had, in a post on his Facebook page said abuse or violation of vulnerable persons and minors will not be tolerated in the state.
“Mrs Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor who visibly violated the young girl left in her custody is one out of many who do not deserve a place amongst decent humanity.
“We have commenced actions to ensure she (Cukelu-Okafor) is brought to justice,” he said.
The governor said the suspect’s prosecution will serve as a “firm warning to all abusers of any kind” in the state.
He said the Child’s Right Act (2003) and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2017) have long been domesticated in the state in addition to other laws against abuse and violence.
“My administration is big on entrenching law and order as a foundation for building the liveable and prosperous homeland that we all seek,” Soludo had stated.
