The Abuja-based couple who would be arraigned in court on Wednesday, were arrested by National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Response Squad in the early hours of Saturday after a tip-off.
It was gathered that the step-mother reportedly meted out the severe punishment to her step-son, after he allegedly sneaked into the kitchen last week and eaten one wrap of moin-moin (beans cake) left in a pot.
The step-mum who arrived no sooner that the boy had started eating, assaulted the little who is a product of Ayo’s first marriage which ended 6 months ago.
Punch Metro reports that NAPTIP’s PRO, Josiah Emerole, who confirmed the couple’s arrest and detention in the agency’s Abuja cell, said the little boy allegedly had his hands, buttocks and genitals burnt by his stepmother, who reportedly connived with her husband.
“The boy had faced maltreatment, including starvation, since the father forcefully took him away from his biological mother. The little boy was starved from morning till 2pm on that day and he crawled to the kitchen where he saw some wraps of moin-moin and decided to help himself to one of them.“For that offence, the woman grabbed the little boy, held his hands and dipped them in boiling water. She also burnt his genitals. The boy’s screams attracted neighbours who came to his rescue, while one of them reported the matter to us” he said.
