EVIL WOMAN: Gives housegirl scar with hot knife for watching TV
By OLUWATOYIN OGUNSEYE
Thursday, December 15, 2005

An 11-year-old girl in Lagos has told how her aunty, smeared her face and body with hot knife for watching television.
Nkiru Egboanu, who left her village in Anambra State three years ago to stay with her uncle and his wife, was literally turned into an animal by her uncle’s wife, Uju Basil. The young girl’s predicament reached its peak last week when her guardian allegedly placed a knife in a burning stove and defaced her body with the red hot knife.

Nemesis caught up with Uju, when she sent the victim to drop her kids in school. Passers -by who saw the little girl’s battered face stopped to ask her what happened. Among them was a human rights activist, Israel Mabaebie, who followed her home.
Barrister Israel, was shocked when he saw the open wounds all over Nkiru’s body. " I knew that the girl had been tortured," he said. "She had not been taken to the hospital and the sores were attracting flies.

She looked traumatized and psychologically down. I asked her what happened and she told me that it was her aunty that defaced her. I did not believe that a human being could do that to another person. I decided to follow her home. By then, a group of people had gathered and followed me to her house."
If Israel thought that he had seen the worst, he was dumbfounded when Uju confirmed that she actually injured her niece. He said: "She showed no remorse.

She confirmed that she used hot knife on the girl because she was watching television and forgot to wash the bathroom. I decided to take the case up and reported at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba. You won’t believe that somebody wanted to bribe me with money. He claimed that he did not know that the injury on the poor girl’s face was that bad. I told him to go to hell with his money because I don’t joke with my conscience. They were not even bothered when I told them that I was going to the police."

When Daily Sun paid a visit to Uju’s home, she confirmed that she smeared the girl’s body. She said: "That girl is too playful. I have told her several times not to watch television. She has spoilt the television before and I repaired it. I gave her some chores to do but she was sitting before the TV not doing what I asked her to do. I got angry and asked her to follow me to the kitchen. I took a knife and put it on one of the burning stoves in my kitchen. I put it on one of her cheeks.
"Instead of her to cry, she was looking at me. I felt that she was daring me. So, I put the knife back in the fire and put it on the other cheek. She was still looking at me. I put it all over her body and sent her back to do her chores."

When detectives led by Inspector Akeem Ishola arrived at Uju’s Orile home to arrest her, they met a crowd outside the home asking for the woman’s head. A neighbour who pleaded anonymity, said: "A few weeks ago, I would have sent Nkiru back to her parents if I knew where they live in the East, if I had the money. That day, she beat the girl to the extent that blood was coming out of her eyes. The girl could not see for days. She was groping in darkness. When I asked her what happened, she told me that her aunty beat her because she did not wash plates. I had to give the girl some food. I could not do more than that because I don’t want the woman’s trouble."

Nkiru, confided in Daily Sun that she did not want to return to her aunty’s place. She said: "I don’t want to go back. She is always beating me. I want to go back to my mother in the village. She sent all my elder brothers that were staying with us away. She does not give me food and I work from morning till night. I don’t go to school again because she has withdrawn me. Please, don’t let me go."
Barrister Israel further revealed that Uju’s family had been sending emissaries to him to beg, but he was not relenting in ensuring that justice was done.