A troubling case of child abuse has surfaced in Lagos, where a mother, identified as Chinwendu Onyeneho, allegedly burned her seven-year-old daughter with a hot electric iron for stealing meat from the cooking pot.
The incident took place Thursday night at No. 11 Oshimyemi Street, Ogba, Lagos, sparking public outrage and prompting intervention from both a human rights organization and the Nigeria Police Force.
According to a neighbor who spoke to SaharaReporters, the abuse began after the child was asked to serve meat to her younger brother. The mother allegedly noticed that some meat had been eaten from the pot, leading to an argument. In response, she reportedly plugged in a hot iron and inflicted severe burns on the child’s body.
“The incident happened last night (Thursday). The woman asked her daughter to serve meat to her younger brother, but when she realized part of it was missing, she saw the child and then plugged in the iron,” the neighbor explained.
The witness, horrified by the brutality of the punishment, confronted the mother immediately after the incident.
“I went to speak with her, asking why she would hurt her child like that. She told me it was none of my business and that I should do whatever I wanted,” the neighbor said. “I was shocked—how could she burn a child over meat? It was completely unfair.”
The Take-It-Back Movement, a prominent human rights group, was quick to respond by informing the Area G Command of the Nigeria Police in Lagos. The police subsequently instructed the source of the information to come forward and file an official complaint.
ACP Faniyi Abayomi, the Area G Commander, confirmed the case on Friday morning and stated that appropriate actions were being taken.
“We have been informed, and the neighbor is here filing a formal complaint. The department handling juvenile matters is currently managing the case,” he said.
Attempts to contact the accused mother, Chinwendu Onyeneho, for a statement were unsuccessful, as her phone went unanswered.
At the time of writing, the child’s condition and the severity of her injuries remain unclear, but photos and videos obtained by SaharaReporters show visible burn marks on the girl’s arms and back. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have vowed to take appropriate action.
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