A Police officer’s wife, Mrs Precious Joseph has been jailed for two years without an option of fine for violently abusing her nine years old niece and house-help, Miss Agatha Emmanuel at Okwe area of Asaba, Capital Territory of Delta State.
The Chief Magistrate of Court II, Okwe Magisterial District , P.O. Obayuwana who presided over the case; sentenced Mrs Precious Joseph to two years incarceration without an option of fine, for using a hot kitchen knife to disfigure little Miss Agartha Emmanuel’s mouth.
The offence was contained in two count charge: OMC/118C/2020: “That you Precious Joseph ‘F’, on 31st day of July 2020 at Iyasele Street, Okwe, in Okwe Magisterial District did unlawfully assault one Agatha Emmanuel ‘F’ by causing her harm with hot knife on her mouth and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21 Vol.1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.”
Count II: “That you Precious Joseph ‘F’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did threaten violence with kitchen knife on Agatha Emmanuel ‘F’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 86 (2) of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Vol.1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.”
The Chief Magistrate, therefore ruled that Mrs. Precious Joseph be sentenced to two years in prison without an option of fine for abusing her victim, Agatha Emmanuel and inflicting bodily injuries on her.
The case was reported at the B Division Police Station, Okwe by a good Samaritan neighbour; Mr. Simeon Morba who saw the deep injury on Agatha’s mouth while she was fetching water. On enquiry, little Agartha told him that her aunt inflicted the injury on her.
Mr Morba approached Mrs Joseph on the girl’s injury, but she became aggressive which prompted him to report the matter to the police.
From the accused statement obtained from the police charge file, Mrs Joseph stated that she burnt Agatha’s mouth with hot knife because she took meat from the pot of soup against her warning that she should not take meat when eating.
She confessed that the girl is her niece whom she brought from her village in Cross River State to help her in house chores and to take care of her three young children.
As soon as the ruling was delivered, Delta State Child Rights Implementation Committee, DSCRIC
took custody of Miss Agartha.
Commenting on the ruling, a representative of DSCRIC, Awele Ideal Esq, said justice had been served and would act as deterrent to persons who maltreat children under their custody.
Meanwhile, the father of the girl has arrived Asaba and after the handing-over formalities, the Ministry of Women Affairs united little Miss Agartha with her father.