The Anambra State Police Command has charged a woman, Charity Effiong, for allegedly manhandling her home help, (name withheld). It was gathered that Effiong allegedly inserted pepper into her home help’s private part over an allegation that she stole N26,000.

The 12-year old girl was reportedly battered by her mistress in the process of getting information from her over the missing money.

The incident happened at Nzekwe Street, near Kwata junction in Awka, Anambra State.

The victim, from Ebonyi State, was allegedly stripped and pepper was inserted in her private part by her mistress.

“The mistress later allegedly sent her away from the house at 10.30pm. The victim, a primary four pupil was later found by a passerby while wandering and crying on the Kwata Road,” a source told our correspondent.

Narrating her ordeal, the victim, who sustained various degrees of injuries, said she had been manhandled by her mistress several times.

“She always flogs me with cable wire. She has her own children but she hardly beats them nor sends them on errands.”

The Good Samaritan that picked her up, Amaka Okoye, said it took her about 30 minutes to douse the effect of the pepper on the girl.

Reacting to the incident, the Secretary, Anambra State Child Protection Network, Hope Okoye, described Effiong’s action as a violation of the state’s Child Right Act of 2004.

“Stuffing Cameroon pepper in the girl’s private part is another level of abuse which has psychological, physical and emotional consequences.

“I don’t know why this should be swept under the carpet. We shall take up. This is an inhumane treatment on the little child,” she stated.

A police source told our correspondent that the suspect had been arrested and detained at the Central Police Station, Awka.

The source said, “It was not long after the matter was reported to the police station that the madam appeared, claiming her home help was abducted. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident.

The PPRO said, “The suspect was charged to court today and the girl was handed over to her parents. She was charged at the Magistrate Court One, Awka.”

Mohammed added that the woman claimed that the victim stole the sum of N26,000 from her house which made her remove the girl’s underwear in the course of searching for the money.

The PPRO added, “She said the girl stole her N26,000 which led her to remove her pants so that she can see whether she hid the money inside her pant.”