Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, minister of women affairs, has announced a N2 million bounty on Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, an Anambra-based lawyer, who allegedly abused her 10-year-old house help.
In a viral video, the house help was seen with iron-stamp burns all over her body, allegedly inflicted on her by Cukelu-Okafor.
The house help is said to have started living with the lawyer on January 5, 2024, in Onitsha north LGA of Anambra.
Cukelu-Okafor was said to have used a broken bottle, knife, and electric iron to inflict injuries on the child for allegedly touching her daughter.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the minister said she has the right to intervene in any matter that concerns women and children in the country.
“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,” she said.
“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 to 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. 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 pain. 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. 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 she would soon make a pronouncement to put a stop to the use of under-18 as house helps.
“There’ll be a pronouncement on that within a week from now. And there’ll be an enforcement programme towards that action. And we will need whistleblowers who are Nigerians, Nigerians come out and fight for your country,” she said.
“Especially now that you have a president who listens to your problems, and 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 anybody come out and give information about anything that you feel will help this country. If you don’t know anywhere to go to, come to Federal Minister of Women Affairs, and you will see immediate action.”
