A nursing mother identified as Gift Igwe has been arrested by Policemen from the Igbogbo division after she set her husband’s 10-year-old brother ablaze at their home on Adenugba Street, Agunfoye, Ikorodu. The reason given for this unhuman behavior from Gift was simply because the little boy was unable to produce a pair of trousers when she demanded them. Residents in the area, who heard the cries of the little boy, rushed to his aid and put out the fire, but during that process, he reportedly passed out.
The little boy identified as Chimobi, from Ishielu, Ebonyi State indigee has since been taken into protective custody by the Lagos State Government. According to reports, after they were able to put out the fire, good samaritans rushed Chimobi to the Ikorodu General Hospital, Ikorodu. It was gathered that, Chimobi was brought to Lagos in 2016 by his brother to live with his family. But since his arrival into the household, Gift had been abusing Chimobi. She did the worse form of abuse by setting him ablaze on Wednesday. A neighbour said:
“He is the younger brother of the man, who is a security guard in a firm. He was not enrolled in any school after he was brought from the village. The brother wanted him to be assisting the wife, who had a baby about a year ago, with house chores and other things.
The woman has been abusing him for some time now. There are marks of past floggings on his body. He also has sores. People in the community could no longer keep quiet when the last incident happened on Wednesday, September 6. She poured kerosene on the boy and lit him with a matchstick.”
Chimobi, who is still recovering from the burns said on Saturday, that he was enrolled in school before he was brought to Lagos from Ebonyi state in 2016, but that his brother and his wife have refused to enrol him in a school since he started living with them.
“I misplaced my trousers and ‘mummy’ (sister-in-law) poured kerosene on me and used a matchstick to light fire. People came to help me. I have not been going to school since they brought me from the village,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed the incident, adding that Gift had been granted bail because she is still nursing a young child. He said she was mandated to report at the police station daily, while the case is being investigated. The Director of the OPD, Mrs. Olubukola Salami, confirmed that little Chimobi has been taken into protective custody by Lagos State.