Governor’s wife threatens legal action against policewoman

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The wife of the Ebonyi State governor Mrs Rachael Umahi, on Wednesday, said she would take legal action against Mrs Joy Okochi, a policewoman who allegedly poured hot soup on her house-help Chinyere Igwe.

Mrs Umahi speaking in Abakaliki through her Chief Press Secretary, Mr Donatus Owo, said the planned intervention against the culprit was to ensure that the victim gets justice.

Umahi decried the lukewarm attitudes of some citizens of the state in handling the case and the alleged threats to the lives of both the victim and her parents by some people.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident occurred on June 24.

Igwe, 15, a house-help to Okochi was said to have sustained serious injuries from the incident.

Meanwhile, Mr Godwin Igwe, the Director of Child Welfare Development in the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, condemned how the police was handling the matter.

Igwe alleged that the police officers handling the case had invited the schedule officer in the ministry on three occasions without any meaningful action taken.

“I see no reason why the police should not have written an official invitation to the schedule officer instructing her to present the victim instead of doing that through phone calls.

“ How can a matter of this magnitude be communicated through phone calls.

“And each time the victim was taken to the police as requested, she would be told that they were engaged in other assignments,’’ he said.

Igwe said that the victim was receiving treatment at the ministry’s rehabilitation centre.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Jude Madu, told NAN that the state police command had carried out an investigation into the matter as directed by the state Commissioner of Police, Titus Lamorde.

He said that this was done through the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Madu said, “The police woman is currently facing orderly room trial; the disciplinary action of the police.

“However, an elderly man from the victim’s family came to the CP with an affidavit from a court requesting that the case be withdrawn and be resolved in their family.

“I don’t know why people derive fun in ridiculing the image of the police, what else do they want the CP to do.

“The incident happened seven days after the police woman gave birth to a set of twins through Caesarian operation,’’ Madu said.