Widow Jailed For Brutalizing 12-Yr-Old Old House Help
A 36-year-old widow, Mrs Opeyemi Omoyemu, who inflicted body injuries on her 12-year-old house help, has been jailed for four and half years by an Ondo State Magistrate Court, sitting in Akure.
A video went viral on the social media, last week, showing the boy, named Joel Sunday, writhing naked in pains with blood all over his body, following blade cuts inflicted on her by the woman.
Omoyemi was sentenced after she was found guilty of a five-count charge bothering on grievous harm, attempted murder, child abuse, violence against persons prohibition, among others.
The convict was said to have used stick and razor blade to inflict multiple injuries on the body of the house help who she accused of stealing pieces of meat from her pot of soup.
Prosecution counsel, ASP Emmanuel Tanimowo, applied for the withdrawal of count-four charge which was granted by the Magistrate, Mrs O.A Edwin, while the defence counsel, Folusho Kayode, pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment, saying the defendant was a first-time offender.
Kayode told the court that the defendant, a mother of four little children and a widow, is responsible for the welfare of the four children and the victim.
“The defendant has been the one solely responsible for the wellbeing and education of the 12-year-old Sunday. She has been doing this dutifully for the past four years since the death of her husband.
“The defendant has kids and they have been crying since the incident happened as they could not see their mother.
“The defendant is a first offender and has never been arrested for any inhuman behaviour. The court should graciously pass the sentence,” the defence counsel said.
Passing the sentence, which will run concurrently, Magistrate Edwin said: “I know that the defendant is a first-time offender but the facts of the offences are not only an abuse on the victim, but an offence against public policy.
“The sentence must therefore run to deter others and also ensure that justice is done to the victim.”
The Magistrate, however, adjourned the case to April 13, 2022 for trial on count-three of the charge, bothering on trafficking in persons which the defendant had pleaded not guilty.
The father of the young boy, Danladi Yahi who hailed from Kebbi State, said the boy was released to a pastor because of the Boko Haram insurgency in Kebbi state which affected his children’s education.
“I released them because I want them to be educated and not to get killed by the Boko Haram. Schools have been closed down and I don’t want them to be uneducated like me. So I sent them down to an area which is peaceful.
“But I was surprised and disappointed to learn about the development. The woman who promised to always allow them to come for Christmas holiday ceased to pick our calls and never heard from her again until the incident happened.
“The police called us in Kebbi to inform us and we rushed down to meet the children who are with the police. It is disheartening that what we run from North and this is what they met in South. But I must appreciate the judiciary and the state government,” Yahi said.
The wife of Ondo State governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, hailed the judiciary over the judgement, and promise to support advocacy for the protection of the rights of women and children.
Mrs Akeredolu said the judgement will serve as deterrent to others and called on parents to be vigilant and monitor the activities of their children to prevent abuses by those entrusted to care for them
“It is dangerous to leave your child with people you can’t trust. Be more vigilant and report any case of molestation to relevant agencies and let’s work together to stamp out this and protect our children,” she said.
Speaking shortly after the court proceeding, Catherine Ogunjebi, who held brief for International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ondo State chapter, said: “We are gratetful that justice has been served to the victim and for the society.
“We are also grateful for the time that the defendant did not waste. She pleaded guilty and it was faster for us to have arrived at this conclusion.
“We are equally impressed because it is not a long sentence. She will be reunited with her children in due course as we know she also has children who are now in the custody of the Women Affairs at the Children Home for proper care.
“It is wrong for her to have had two children, 12 years and 10 years, in her custody for the purpose of domestic help. This is against the Child Right Law of Ondo State and Child Right Act 2003 of Nigeria.”
