A woman, Zainab Suleiman, was arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court in Akure, Ondo State capital, for allegedly brutalising her niece.

Suleiman, who lives in Oke Odu area of Akure, was allegedly fond of flogging her 12-year-old niece, Victoria William, with horsewhip whenever she offended her.

It was gathered that following the incessant maltreatment, it was one of the neighbours of the defendant that reported the matter to the police and consequently, Suleiman was arrested.

The defendant was arraigned by the police on two-count charge bothering on child abuse.

The charge sheet reads:

“That you Zainab Suleiman on the 31 January 2020 at Oke-Odu via Ipinsa, Akure did unlawfully assault one Victoria Williams aged 12 year old by using your fingernails to inflict injuries all over her body and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 355 of the criminal code cap 37 vol 1 laws of Ondo state of Nigerian 2006.

“That you Zainab Suleiman, on the same date, and place did injure one Victoria Williams by causing her deep wound on her body and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 338 of the criminal code cap 37 vol 1 laws of Ondo state of Nigerian 2006.”

She, however, pleaded not guilty when the two charges were read to her.

The prosecutor, Mr Ajiboye Babatunde asked the court to grant a short adjournment on the case to enable him study the case file property.

In his argument, the defence counsel, Mr Akinrata Adekanke, urged the court to allow for peaceful settlement of the matter at home in the interest of the minor. He also urged the court to use its discretion to grant the defendant bail, considering the nature of the offence.

In her ruling, the magistrate, Mrs Funke Adegoroye ordered for the remand of the defendant in prison custody and referred the case to the family court for continuation of the hearing and adjourned the case till Tuesday, February 11, 2020.

The magistrate also ordered the victim to be taken to the Ondo State Children Home for proper care till Tuesday.

When asked why she involved herself in such a wicked act, Sulaiman, who hailed from Okene in Kogi State said it was a mistake.

She said, “I can not just explain why it happened. She has been living with me since 2017. I enrolled her in a very good school and I trained her very well.

“She is my niece. Her mother lives in Kogi State. I was the one who pleaded with her mother to release her to me so that she can be living with me here in Akure. I can’t do her any evil.”

Victoria, who also spoke outside the court narrated that it all started on a particular day when she accused me wrongly of eating one of the fish she sent me to buy whereas the fish mistakenly fell on the road. She didn’t touch me until the third day when she beat me with a horsewhip and also used her fingernails to pinch my body.

” So, anytime I didn’t finish the house chores on time or I could not do my school homework she will use her fingernails and horsewhip to inflict injury on my body.”