Joy Anyim
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 40-year-old housewife, Iswat Taofeek, for inflicting knife wounds on a 12-year-old boy at No 36, Isoka Kugba, Abeokuta.
Taofeek alleged that the boy, who is the son of her brother-in-law, stole N5,000 from her, hence the assault.
The Nigerian Xpress gathered that a concerned neighbour reported the matter at the Adatan Police Station on November 23.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the arrest of the suspect.
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Oyeyemi said: “The suspect was arrested about 8:30 a.m. on Monday, November 23, following a complaint by one of her neighbours who came to Adatan Police Station with the little boy whose body was full of injuries inflicted on him with a hot knife and cutlass.
“While the report was being lodged, the little boy fainted at the station and was quickly rushed to a hospital for medical attention. On the strength of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Samuel Aladegoroye, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), detailed his detectives to the woman’s house where she was promptly arrested.
“On interrogation, the suspect explained that the little boy is a son to her brother-in-law and he has been living with her for some time. She stated further that she kept the N5,000 somewhere in the house but couldn’t find it.
“She said she believed it was the boy who stole the money, and that was why she put a knife on fire until it was red hot before she used it to burn the little boy all over his body.”
The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police (CP), Edward Ajogun, has ordered the transfer of the case to Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and prosecution.