The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has placed a N2m bounty on an Anambra-based lawyer, Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, who has been accused of abusing her 10-year-old house help.
While addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, the minister asserted her right to intervene in the matter as it relates to women and children in the country.
The incident was said to have happened in the Onitsha North Local Government of Anambra State.
Cukelu-Okafor allegedly used various objects like a broken bottle, knife, and electric iron to harm the child, supposedly in response to an incident involving her daughter.
A video that surfaced online shows the house help covered in burns that were reportedly caused by Cukelu-Okafor.
The Minister, while reacting to the incident on Monday, said, “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 have decided to wage in.
“Everything that concerns women and children across Nigeria, I have every right to get involved in them. See this one that I kept quiet, what has happened to date? Nothing!
“So I am 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-Ohanenye also announced her intention to address the issue of employing minors as domestic workers in the near future.
“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.
“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,” she added.