People can really be wicked:Woman tortures, blinds 12-year-old house help in Lagos

A woman identified only as Gloria has blinded one of the eyes of her 12-year-old houseboy identified as Peter in following brutal and frequent torture. Gloria had employed Peter who is from Togo to work as her housemaid at 14b, Olu Akerele Street, Balogun Bus Stop off Awolowo Way, Ikeja area of Lagos State but the minor had been suffering severe beating in the hands of the woman. In one of such cruel beatings, Peter lost an eye, New Telegraph is reporting.

Reports say the last straw which broke the camel’s back was when Gloria returned from an outing and realised Peter did not wash a kettle properly. She was said to have descended
on the boy and in the process, injured his eye. Concerned residents said they could no longer withstand her cruelty so they reported the case to the police and the woman was arrested. A resident who pleaded anonymity said the woman was well known for being violent and was avoided by everyone in the area.

He said, “If the boy comes to watch television with them in the parlor, he would be beaten. On school days, you will see the boy leaving home around 9.30a.m.

“We feared the unexpected with the manner the woman used to beat the boy. He has a deep sore on his leg. When we asked him about it, he said it was burnt from fire. He said the swollen eye was caused by beating from his madam for not washing a kettle properly.

“He has been subjected to violence for a long time. You know everybody used to mind his or her business in the compound. When I saw the boy last, he was looking sickly. Hence I decided to seek help from the appropriate agency.

“This is an ideal case of child abuse and child labour. We need the intervention of child protection network in his case,” the resident added.

Meanwhile, as at press time the police had not made any comment concerning the arrest.