Rose Okon has been sentenced to six months in prison by a Magistrate Court in Imo State after she pleaded guilty to assaulting her 14-year-old niece, whom she was caring for.
The case was heard before Chief Magistrate C.J. Nkwoada, who sentenced Okon after she admitted to the offence when she was arraigned by the police.
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According to the charge sheet, the incident occurred on September 19 at about 6pm in Umuneke, Ngor Okpala, within the Ngor Okpala Magisterial District.
The charge read: “that you Rose Okon F, on the 19th of September at 1800 hrs at Umuneke, Ngor Okpala in the Ngor Okpala Magisterial district did assault one Favour Emmanuel, 14 years by pouring hot water on her head and body, which caused her grievous harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 355 of the Criminal Code Cap C38 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State of Nigeria.”
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During the proceedings, the prosecution counsel, Sampson Obodo, presented photographs showing the injuries suffered by the teenager.
He also tendered statements made to the police by the complainant and the victim, as well as a statement from the Stand For Humanity Foundation, the human rights organisation that initiated the process leading to Okon’s arrest.
Before passing sentence, the court gave Okon an opportunity to plead for mercy. She asked the court to have mercy on her.
Her lawyer, Innocent Onyekwere, also appealed to the court to be lenient when sentencing his client.
Okon was arrested following a petition filed by the Stand For Humanity Foundation over the incident.
The organisation’s president, Chidiebube Okeoma, led more than 20 members to the court on Friday and spoke to journalists about the case.
Okeoma, a journalist and child rights advocate, said the organisation initiated the arrest to remind members of the public that child abuse is a punishable offence under the law.
He added that the conviction and six-month prison sentence should serve as a lesson to people who abuse children.
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