Photos: Pregnant woman pours boiling water on househelp's breasts for waking up late

A pregnant woman faces child abuse and human
trafficking charges after she attacked her
housemaid with boiling water for waking up late.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, mother of one
Kemi Egbukole, 36, poured boiling water on 16-
year-old Hope David leaving her breasts with
severe injuries. Police said Egbukole would be
charged after investigations are concluded.
Mrs. Egbukole, a resident of of Minta 1 Estate,
Lokogoma, Abuja, is currently being investigated
for child abuse and trafficking offences by the
Police, National Human Rights Commission and
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking
in Persons,( NAPTIP)
According to the Deputy Director, Protection and
Investigations, National Human Rights
Commission, Lambert Oparah, Mrs. Egbukole
initially denied the assault charges but later
admitted the attack, claiming it was an accident,
and the victim was immediately taken to the
hospital for treatment.
The Director however revealed that Hope wasn't
taken to the hospital as claimed by the suspect.
"She was taken to a chemist, they put
plasters around her breast which was not
quite good," he said
Neighbours who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES
described Mrs. Egbukole as a "notorious child
abuser" who repeatedly attacked Hope with
dangerous objects including rods.
"She ran out of the house and came to
my side," one of the neighbour said. "Mrs.
Egbukole was still trying to flog her with
a mop stick."
The neighbour said at first she thought Hope
was attacked with pepper or cold water as in
the past.
"I thought it was just water and pepper,
or something, until the girl screamed
back again in my room and I shouted,
‘What!’ the breast has peeled already. So
I shouted and said ‘Come you did this
thing to this girl and you still want to
flog her again? I will report you to the
police and NAPTIP; at that point she
started begging and immediately she
started telling lies," the neighbour said.
Mrs. Egbukole claimed Hope poured herself
water, according to a neighbour.
But the woman had a history of abusing the girl,
the neighbour said, citing how Mrs. Egbukole a
day earlier had hit Hope with a curtain rail,
injuring her in the head.
Mr Opara alleges that Hope was trafficked to
Abuja. According to him, Mrs Egbukole said the
girl was brought to her by a pastor who usually
supplied girls from Nasarawa State to Abuja
residents seeking house helps.
"She said she does not know the girl’s
parents, Mr. Oparah added.
The commission immediately made a reported to
the Commissioner of Police, Abuja, who directed
further investigations into the case. Mrs.
Egbukole will most likely be charged for abuse
of the Child Rights’ Act, 2003.
"The Child Rights’ Act clearly states the
responsibility of parents or wards, as well
as government or other agencies
involved; regarding the dignity of the
child, as well as the child’s right to
adequate health and health services,
which have both been abused in this
case," Oparah said.
Mrs Egbukole and her husband had been at the
FCT police command for interrogation and would
be required to return intermittently till the end of
the investigation.
The Abuja police spokesperson, Manzah
Adjuguri, who confirmed the incident said Mrs.
Egbukole claims that the pastor who brought
Hope from Nasarawa was her uncle. He assured
the matter will be charged after investigation.
"It is a matter of concern to the
command based on the rate of injuries
that has been sustained by the girl. And
for us, here at the command, justice
must take its full course," he stated.
Adjuguri further said the command was still in
touch with Hope, who is currently recovering
under the custody of NAPTIP.
The spokesperson of NAPTIP, Joshua Emerole,
said Hope would remain under the agency’s care
until the end of the investigation and that Mrs
Egbukole faces other charges including the
violation of the Violence Against Persons
Prohibition Act, 2015.