The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued a 16-year-old domestic worker in Abuja after her employer allegedly poured hot water on her.
The agency disclosed in a statement on Friday that the intervention followed a tip-off from neighbours in the Gwarinpa area of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to NAPTIP, the girl, employed to care for her employer’s three children — including two-month-old twins and a seven-year-old boy — was rushed to a hospital by neighbours who witnessed the assault.
“The victim, who hails from Imo State and comes from a family of 12, was scalded with hot water by her employer. Alert neighbours quickly rushed her to a hospital and immediately contacted NAPTIP, prompting a swift rescue operation,” the statement read.
The agency said it has launched an investigation and vowed that “all individuals involved in this heinous act will face the full weight of the law.”
The case adds to a growing list of domestic violence incidents involving hot water. In February 2022, a woman in Ogun State, Ramota Soliu, reportedly killed her husband after pouring hot water on him. Similarly, in September 2023, a landlord in Mowe, Ogun State, allegedly scalded an 11-year-old girl with hot water.