The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, has announced a N2 million bounty on Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, an Anambra-based lawyer over allegations of child abuse.
The decision comes after a video went viral showing a 10-year-old house help with severe iron-stamp burns allegedly inflicted by Cukelo-Okafor.
According to reports, the house help began residing with the lawyer on January 5, 2024, in Onitsha North LGA of Anambra. It’s alleged that Cukelu-Okafor used a broken bottle, knife, and an electric iron to cause injuries to the child, accusing her of touching her daughter.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the Minister expressed her right to intervene in any matter that concerns women and children in the 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,” she declared.
She continued that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs is offering N2 million “to anybody that will lay hands 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 whistle-blowers who are Nigerians, Nigerians come out and fight for your country,” she said.
