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He asked her to prepare a meal of rice but the poor girl seemed to have taken too long to get it done. She is only 12 years old, an age considered in many homes to be too young for such a responsibility.
But for Mr. Yemi Sunday Afolayan, an Immigration Officer, the delay was an unpardonable offence and deserving of strong reprimand.
In what is yet to be properly explained, the father of five is alleged to have pounced on the girl, identified as Favour Emmanuel, tied her up and inflicted several bodily injuries on her with a hot pressing iron.
The Police as well as officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs in Kwara State, confirmed the story yesterday. But Afolyan denied all the claims, arguing that “the girl was only being naughty.” The Ministry is now giving custody to the girl.
According to Afolayan, contrary to claims by Favour before investigators, she is not considered a house help in the family, since she hails from the same community in the Eastern part of the country with his wife.
Asked how the young girl got the wounds on her body, Afolyan said: “She said when she was running out of the house. Maybe she got it before she got here, may be on the street. I told you I’m a father myself and I wouldn’t do that to any child. I wanted to scold her while she was ironing and she ran out but I got burnt on my left thigh. I feel that was a mistake by her, maybe when she was running out but I didn’t burn her with iron.”
In her account of the incident, Favour insisted that Afolayan asked her to prepare rice. When it was taking too long for the food to be ready he first beat her mercilessly and later tied her up and used an electric pressing iron to inflict all the injuries on her.
Some neighbours of the Afolyans corroborated the girl’s claims. Although they asked not to be identified in the press, the neighbours alleged that the manner the girl had always been treated by the family was far from being human but as they were not party to her coming to live there, they could not challenge the couple. It was after one of them summoned the courage to inform officials of the Ministry of Women Affairs that the case came into the limelight.
The Director of Child Development in the ministry, Mrs Lucy Adeniyi, confirmed that the incident was reported to the ministry by a neighbour to the couple. She equally confirmed that the girl sustained serious injuries on her neck and foot, adding that she was in a critical condition as her foot and some parts of her neck were burnt and infected by the time the ministry stepped into the matter. Adeniyi said the girl’s condition required immediate medical attention which is now being provided at the state Civil Service Hospital, Ilorin.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Fabode Olufemi, who also confirmed the incident said a warrant of arrest had been issued on the suspects and assured that the Police would do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice.
Kwara State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Comfort Afolayan, decried the situation and called on parents to be careful the way they handle their wards. Her words: “The Ministry went there reported with the anti-child trafficking department of A Division and made arrest. The victim was arrested. The child is on our custody where we are taking care of her and we will take her back to her family.
The girl was taken to a child centre at Gaa Akanbi. As a mother, not even as the Commissioner for Women and Social Affair, but as a mother, the act is very horrible. As a mother, who has gone through the process of child bearing, you cannot see that situation and keep quiet. Such a treatment is not acceptable. The Ministry will not relent on its efforts in protecting the rights of these children.
“We have been embarking on sensitization and enlightenment programmes on child abuse and child labour, even after all these efforts, people still involving in such practices. As a result of this experience which we have seen again, we will continue to persuade our people on the dangers of exposing our children who are the pillars of tomorrow for maltreatment.
“We are appealing to guardians, elders and even parents that they should see children as a gift from God and pillars of this nation. Any child that is maltreated will have malice in her. We appeal to our parents and guardians to treat our children the way they would want their children to be treated. The girl is from Anambra but the mother resides in Lagos.”
Meanwhile, Favour is currently at the Children Reception Centre, Gaa Akanbi, owned by the Kwara State Governmen
