Woman kills 11-year-old maid

A Plateau State High Court in Jos has remanded a housewife, Nneamaka Nwachuku, for allegedly torturing her 11-year-old maid, Margret Joshua, to death.

The accused was remanded by a judge, B. Bassi, who presided over the matter, on Wednesday.

Late Miss Joshua was said to have been tortured to death on 11 November by Mrs Nwachukwu after pouring hot oil on parts of her body, which subsequently led to her death.

The police slammed a three-count suit of culpable homicide, cruelty to person and voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous means against Mrs Nwachukwu.

The police claimed Mr Nwachukwu, a resident of the National Institute of Trypanosomiasis (NITR) National Veterinary Research Institute Quarters, Jos South LGA of Plateau State, used hot groundnut oil and poured it on the buttocks and other parts of the body of Miss Joshua.

The police said Mis Joshua “sustained superficial thickness scald burns which led to her death.”

“This was done in order to give effect to your already conceived ill-intention and nefarious intention. That you had knowledge that the death of the deceased is the probable consequence of your ill-conceived intention which is reflected in the callous manner in which you mishandled the deceased. You thereby committed the above offence.

“You also assaulted her by the use of an electric cable beating her frequently and ill-treating her which resulted in serious injuries on her body and to her health. You thereby committed the above offence.

However, the accused person, having pleaded not guilty to the charges, the court granted the oral application of the prosecution, and the matter was adjourned to 19 January 2023, for the prosecution to prove its case.