Rose Okon was given a six-month prison sentence by an Imo State magistrate court for mistreating and injuring her 14-year-old niece.
The defendant may pay a fine of N50,000 in lieu of the six-month prison sentence, according to the Court, which was presided over by C.J. Nkwoada.
When Mrs. Okon was charged with one count of assault by the state police, she entered a guilty plea.
“You Rose Okon, on the 19th of September at 1800 hours at Umuneke, Ngor Okpala in the Ngor Okpala Magisterial district did assault one Favour Emmanuel, 14 years, by pouring hot water on her head and body which caused her grievous harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 355 of the criminal code Cap C38 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State of Nigeria,” the charge sheet stated.
Through her attorney, Innocent Onyekwere, the offender requested mercy from the court prior to the verdict, asking it to be forgiving.
After the Stand For Humanity Foundation, a human rights organization, filed a petition, the offender was taken into custody.
Chidiebube Okeoma, the foundation’s president, told journalists that the organization started the woman’s arrest to remind people that abusing children is illegal. Okeoma escorted more than twenty members of the organization to the court.
He claimed that the woman’s conviction and punishment will teach all child abusers a lesson.
Okeoma went on to say that his foundation would keep cracking down on child abusers.
He recalled that after receiving several allegations of child abuse on a daily basis, the organization had launched awareness campaigns against child abuse on multiple times.