An Owerri Chief Magistrate Court in Imo State has ordered the remand of a 38-year-old businesswoman, Mrs Juliet Igwe, over allegations of severe abuse and attempted murder involving her five-year-old domestic help, Onyinyechi.
Mrs Igwe was arraigned on Thursday before Chief Magistrate B. U. Adikibe on a one-count charge filed by the Imo State Police Command, acting on the authority of the Commissioner of Police.
According to the police, the alleged offence occurred on November 25, during which the minor reportedly sustained serious injuries while under the suspect’s care. Prosecutors told the court that the offence carries a possible life sentence, prompting the magistrate to rule that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Consequently, Magistrate Adikibe ordered that the suspect be remanded at the Owerri Correctional Centre and directed that the case file be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Information presented in court indicated that the child was left in critical condition for several days before she was rescued. The case gained public attention following the intervention of a human rights group, Stand For Humanity Foundation, which reportedly discovered the child and facilitated her rescue.
The organisation, led by activist journalist Chidiebube Okeoma, also assisted law enforcement authorities in effecting the suspect’s arrest on December 4. Onyinyechi was subsequently admitted to the Imo State University Medical Centre in Owerri, where she is currently receiving treatment.
Speaking briefly to journalists after the court session, Mrs Igwe expressed remorse over the incident, stating that she did not anticipate the severity of the child’s condition and appealed for divine forgiveness.
The case has continued to spark public outrage, with renewed calls for stronger protection of children and stricter enforcement of laws against child abuse.