There is palpable tension in the South East over rising cases of assault, brutal attacks, dehumanization and domestic violence against house helps, which appear to be a threat to the country’s Child Right Act, prompting calls for urgent action
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
There appears to be a big threat to the Child Right Act as brutal attacks on minors serving as house helps or maids takes frightening dimensions across the country, especially in the South East where provisions of Child Right Act and other existing laws, spell out sanctions for offenders are often not carried out.
But concerned Nigerians are of the opinion that there is urgent need to address growing cases of physical abuse of domestic workers now that it has assumed notoriety in the South East.
A typical case is in Abia state where police in Abia State Police Command has apprehended Mrs. Nwoko Gift, 35 for attempting to harm a young girl with a knife.
According to police reports, preliminary investigation reveals that on July 5, 2026 Mrs. Gift Nwoko of Ehime Mbano, Imo State, but resides at IBB Housing Estate, Umuahia, the aunt to 12-year-old girl, Ebo Chimsomando on the same day attempted to kill Ebo Chimsomando because that she refused to spread the clothes she was asked to spread before the suspect (Mrs. Gift) left for the market. Further investigation also revealed that the suspect has been threatening to kill the young Miss Chimsomando.
Police leveraging on actionable intelligence raced to the scene rescued the victim, apprehended the suspect and recovered as exhibit knife. According to the statement signed by Police Public Relations officer DSP Maureen Chinaka, the command condemns such act barbaric actions for whatever reasons and advises members of the public to desist from such act as well as report any such incident to the nearest police station.
While in Anambra state, men of the Anambra State Police Command on July 3, 2026 arrested Mrs. Onwuka Nneamaka, 34, from Nando Anambra East for attempted murder that happened at Otu Street Awada, Onitsha. The victim, one Miss Ijeoma Nwafor, 14-year-old, a native of Achalla, Awka North was pushed down from a four-story building by the suspect when she was beating her.
Still in Anambra, the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Chinyere Esther Onyekesi has strongly condemned a disturbing case of child abuse involving a young girl in Onitsha, describing it as cruel, inhumane, unacceptable and a gross violation of the rights and dignity of a child.
According to reports, the incident involved one Aniagu Precious, an indigene of Enugu State residing in Onitsha, who allegedly subjected a young girl under her care to severe physical abuse, neglect and starvation, the victim reportedly lost a tooth as result of the assault and later collapsed while in school due to injuries sustained from the abuse, compounded by prolonged deprivation of adequate food and care.
Reacting to the development, Mrs. Onyekesi expressed profound shock and concern over the incident, noting that such acts undermine values of compassion, responsibility and respect for human dignity that society must uphold.
In Enugu State, the story is the same, the Enugu State police command had arrested Mrs. Ogechi John from Ebonyi State penultimate Monday, for allegedly beating her step daughter to death. The incident happened around 3:00p.m. and the neighbors according to sources said that she has been constantly maltreating the girl.
Besides, operatives of the Imo state police command have arrested a woman following the horrific, near-fatal abuse of her five-year-old niece, who she was kept as a domestic house help. The suspect allegedly subjected the minor to extreme torture-including scalding her fingers with boiling water and burning her fresh with melted candle wax—leaving the victim, severally mutilated.
The timely intervention of alert neighbours saved the child’s life, but medical personnel at the hospital were forced to amputate three of her fingers due to advanced tissue decay and severe infection.
Trouble reportedly started when the suspect accused the underage girl of “licking her soup” a minor grievance that triggered a sadistically disproportional retaliation. According to sources, the woman deliberately boiled water and forced the child’s hand into it, peeling the skin completely off her fingers.
Beyond the devastating injuries to the child’s hand, clinical examinations revealed a horrific history of prolonged physical abuse. The suspect allegedly used melted candle wax inflict deep, painful burns across the minor’s back and other parts of her body, resulting in extensive open wounds and scarring.
Human rights, activists and social commentators across Nigeria have fiercely condemned the incident, calling for most stringent legal charges possible under the law. This incident highlights a troubling trend of domestic abuses cases involving underage house helps, intensifying local calls for stricter enforcement of Child Right Act in the state.
The question many are asking is why is that some Igbo women so wicked when it comes to taking care of other people’s children. Most of the videos shared online these days in child abuse involves Igbo women.
The Child Protection Network (CPN), Anambra State chapter has called for a thorough investigation and justice in the alleged abuse and maltreatment of a minor, Chiziterem Franklin Oguboto.
In a statement signed by the state coordinator, Mrs. Anekwe Eucharia, th e network expressed deep concern over reports and images circulating in the public domain showing the condition of the child living as a domestic help under the care of an adult guardian.
CPN described the allegations as disturbing and said the incident raises serious concerns about the safety, welfare and protection of children placed under the care of others. The network strongly condemned all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse against children, stressing that every child has the right to protection, dignity, education, health care and a safe environment for healthy growth and development.
According to the statement, the incident highlights the continued challenge of child abuse and underscores the need for sustained public awareness, stronger reporting mechanisms and greater commitment to child protection at family, community and institutional levels.
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Anambra State branch has also strongly condemned the alleged torture and brutalization of the young boy, Master Chiziterem, by his guardian, describing the incident as barbaric, inhuman and a disturbing reflection of the growing culture of impunity against vulnerable children in society.
In a statement signed by the chairman, Evangelist Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, the human rights group expressed deep concern over what it described as the widespread but often unreported cases of child abuse across Anambra State. According to the CLO, the case of Master Chiziterem highlights the urgent need for citizens to speak out against injustice and protect vulnerable members of the society.
Another Igbo woman from Enugu again used razor blade to slice off a child’s toe at Coal camp area of Enugu State. This time the victim is her sister’s live in child, a minor. This brutality happened right after the viral video of an Imo State woman who attempted to slice off her maid’s ear at IBB estate, Umuahia, Abia state. The neighborhood paraded her for some minutes before the Nigerian Police arrested her.
Meanwhile, as preparations gathered momentum for this year’s Women August Meeting across Igbo communities, a Port Harcourt based social commentator, Ola Ige has made a clarion call to dedicate part of their deliberations to addressing the growing concern of physical abuse and maltreatment of domestic workers particularly young girls employed as house helps.
According to him, this is necessary because the August Meeting has served as a vital platform for discussing social, economic, cultural and development issues affecting families and communities. While reports of domestic workers being subjected to physical assault, starvation, emotional abuse and other forms of inhuman treatment are assuming a dangerous dimension in South East, Ola Ige worries is that this is putting a tar on the vast majority of Igbo women who are caring, industrious, loving and motherly.
He concluded by saying that discussions during the August meeting should focus on raising awareness about the rights of domestic workers, encouraging human treatment, fostering responsible parenting and strengthening community mechanisms for reporting and addressing cases of abuse.
Nwoba Chika agrees with Ola Ige by saying that the cruelty displayed by some of Igbo women is senseless. What is wrong with these women, in spite of the parading of suspect who committed a thing like this, others are still committing the same crime. “And I believe there are many of such cases yet to be brought to public knowledge,” Chika said.
The sad part of it, Chika further said is that they start feeling sober when they are arrested as if there was a spirit in them that committed the brutality which comes and goes.
