It is tear-jerking how mean people, especially women can be over trivial issues. Where is the wickedness of
most heartless individuals going to lead them? What is the benefit of wickedness I ask?
Last week Thursday, a Lagos State Police Command had
arrested one Mrs Aminot Otun for allegedly roasting the right hand of her
seven-year-old step-son, Awwal Otun for adding drops of liquid disinfectant to
his bath water.
The President, Child to Child Network, NGO, Ngozi
Ekwerike-Okoro disclosed that if not for the distressed call she had received from
one of the suspect’s neighbours at 59,
Suenu Street, Surulere, Lagos to save Awwal’s life, no one knows what the woman
would have ended up doing with the poor boy.
The story
“On July 11, 2013, Awwal was rushed to the Randle General
Hospital, Mother and Child Centre, Gbaja, at about 6:30pm after a distress call
from neighbours.
“He sustained serious injuries from fire burns inflicted on
him by the step-mother who is now in police custody.
“At the hospital, we requested to see the welfare officer
who we were told had closed for the day but after narrating our mission to one
of the staff she referred us to the chief matron. The chief matron issued an emergency card to
the boy and directed him to see the doctor.
“The doctor, however, refused to attend to the boy, because
according to her, the hospital did not have enough space to accommodate the
boy, as he would need admission for intensive care.
“We pleaded with the doctor to at least administer some
first aid on the boy but she refused. We went back to the chief matron who told
us after consulting with the doctor that Surulere General Hospital (Mother and
Child Centre) does not have the facility to deal with such cases. They said our
best chance would be to go to Ikeja General Hospital.
“We eventually left in disappointment and went to a private
hospital in Mushin, close to the juvenile centre, where he got immediate
attention and was treated free of charge,” Ekwerike-Okoro narrated.
Meanwhile according to the boy, he had added small quantity
of ‘Izal’ disinfectant to his bath water and his step mother got angry and put
his hand on a burning stove since last week Sunday and was not taken to the hospital
till Thursday when neighbours called the Lagos State Child Protection Network
who mobilised the JWC Alakara to rescue him.
While Awwal’s teachers are pleading that he should not be
allowed to go back to his step-mother because he always comes to school with
bruises, the neighbours who pleaded anonymity disclosed that it has been the boy’s
normal punishment for any little mistake.
The primary one pupil was initially taken to a nearby
private hospital for treatment but he is currently at Juvenile Welfare Centre
of Alakara Police Station.
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