The Edo State government has taken custody of an 11-year-old girl whose mother used melted nylon to burn her bottom for being ‘too stubborn.’
The state government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, took custody of the girl, Rejoice Godswill, following a viral video where she was severely abused by her own mother in the New Benin area of Benin City, the state capital.
The video, which was recorded by a human rights activist, showed the girl with visible injuries and featured her mother, identified simply as Beauty, burning part of her buttocks with melted nylon as punishment for what she described as her stubborn behaviour.
According to the mother’s account in the viral video, she carried out the act while her husband was away from home and the man later confronted her after learning of the incident.
However, some neighbours who were aware of the development alleged that the stepfather actually held Rejoice while the mother inflicted the injuries.
“The child was also observed to have several old injury marks on different parts of her body, raising concerns about possible previous abuses,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, July 29.
After seeing the video, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in the state, Eugenia Abdallah, directed the arrest of the child’s mother and stepfather to enable a thorough investigation into the allegations.
The suspects are currently at the New Benin Police Station and are expected to be transferred to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation.
