The incident occurred on Sunday around 8am in Enugu, leaving many people in the area totally shocked.
Esther
A woman has bathed her housemade with hot water.
The incident happened in Enugu on Sunday around 8am.
According to TheWhistler, the victim one Esther, from Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, is currently battling for her life after the hot water left her with severe burns.
Esther was said to have been living with her mistress since 2019.
The mistress, one Ifeoma Okolo, from Olo in Ezeagu LGA, had allegedly been subjecting Esther to inhuman treatment over the years.
A source, who does not want his name mentioned, said, “Esther had warned the child of the mistress not to go close to boiling water on a gas cylinder. Her mistress wasn’t happy. She pounced on her for warning the child. She said Esther was too small to talk to her daughter.
“She slapped her, and beat her thoroughly. Esther was crying profusely. As if that was not enough, she carried the boiling water and poured on her. Then she asked her to be washing clothes.
“The pains were unbearable for Esther, so she couldn’t do anything. The mistress again used her finger nails to tear her bruised parts of the body to cause more pains to her. Her mistress was telling her that she would give her permanent injuries before she returned home. In fact, the mistress had already packed her belongings in a bag for her exit that fateful Sunday. She was billed for sack immediately after Mass.
“Seeing that her life was in danger, Esther managed to escape to her cousin’s house. It was her cousin that took her to Nike Police Station, Enugu, where the complaint was laid. The police then arrested the mistress.”
Esther, 18, was said to have been enduring her mistress so she could write her forthcoming WAEC examination.
Aside that her parents could not pay her fees, she was also afraid of returning to her Okpoku community at Eha-Amufu because of the activities of the herders.
A relative of her, Charles, said, “A police report was later issued at the station to enhance her treatment in hospital. The husband of the mistress came later, and began to threaten the cousin of the victim for reporting the matter to the police. Before the arrest, the mistress had gone to Esther’s cousin’s house to attack her for admitting her. But she did not meet her because they had gone to the station then.”
It was gathered that it was not the first time the victim was been maltreated by her mistress.
On so many occasions, her mistress had bitten her, after which she would secretly be administered tetanus injections by her cousin.
Their neighbour, Emmanuel, who described the mistress as wicked, told our correspondent that, “The husband of the mistress is not in support of how his wife maltreats Esther. It is always in the man’s absence that the woman would torture Esther.
“The woman also did not want her husband to register WAEC for her. That was why Esther only registered for NECO. Esther would take the kids to school, then go to the mistress’ shop to display goods for sale before she would go to her school. The mistress was alleged to have also instructed the gatemen of Esther’s school to beat her for coming late. Esther does not go to school three times in a week.”
Emmanuel expressed anger that Esther was forced to tell the hospital authorities that the hot water accidentally poured on her.
According to findings, it was a ploy by the husband of the mistress to make the hospital treat her without demanding a police report.
Relatives of the victim are not happy that she is not being well-treated. One of them said, “She was said to have been taken to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu. They later said they would tell a nurse working in Orthopaedic to be treating her in her cousin’s house.
“Yesterday, the victim was billed to be taken to hospital. The husband of the mistress said the doctor would be around at 3pm. The husband later called her cousin and said the doctor had gone. They said the doctor would come on Friday. They later called a nurse working there.”
The husband of the mistress, Ikechukwu Okolo, however, said he had been making efforts to treat her properly. In his words, “I wasn’t around when it happened. When I returned, my wife was already at the police station.
“I pleaded with them at the station to release the victim to me to treat. My concern is her health. But her relatives refused.
“I have been living with her for years. It is the work of satan. I have not asked them what happened. Esther is staying with her cousin presently. I later got the consent of the police to treat her. I didn’t want a public hospital, so we went to Julius Hospital at Abakpa.
“They told us to take her to Orthopaedic. She was admitted in the emergency unit. After the treatment, I demanded to carry her to my house, but her relatives refused. We then agreed that she would be receiving treatment from home. They said she should be coming for dressing every two days.
“I arranged with a nurse working at Orthopaedic for private treatment. The percentage of the wound was eight. But the cousin seemed not satisfied with the arrangement. She was thinking that I engaged a quack nurse. I then planned to return to Orthopaedic yesterday with her. I invited the cousin. But when I called the doctor, he said he had gone.
“We then arranged with a nurse for home treatment. I have told her people that if they are not satisfied so far, let them choose any hospital of their choice. It is temptation. They said the hot water was meant for tea and not that my wife boiled water to burn her.”
On whether his wife is remorseful, he said, “She is. My wife called Esther’s cousin to beg her for understanding. It was after the call that Esther’s cousin started saying that my wife had been released without the consent of the complainants.
“The truth is that my two-year-old-child started having high temperature at the station. Police granted my wife to go and treat the child. She was told to report back next Tuesday. My wife is diabetic and hypertensive.”
Police sources said the matter was still being investigated.