Police arrest mother who injured seven-year-old daughter with hot knife
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested 32-year-old Ogechi Ofoma for allegedly inflicting severe bodily injuries on her seven-year-old daughter, Oluebube, in Ibollo community, Awada-Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area.
According to the police, the child was allegedly injured with a hot knife after being accused of taking meat from a pot.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday following a joint operation by the police and the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, and is currently being held at the Awada Police Station pending further investigation.
In a statement released on Monday, Anambra State Police Command spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the command “has strongly condemned the alleged brutal abuse of a seven-year-old girl in Obosi” and reaffirmed its resolve to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
Ikenga added that the command received a report on the evening of September 13, 2026, about “alleged child abuse and severe bodily injuries involving Oluebube Ofoma, aged seven,” and credited “the vigilance, courage and public-spirited intervention of community security personnel and residents” for the child’s rescue and the mother’s arrest.
He said preliminary information indicated the child “was allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse, including injuries reportedly inflicted with a hot knife.”
Anambra Commissioner of Police CP Nnanna Ama has begun working with the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare to ensure the victim receives “urgent and appropriate medical care, protection and all necessary welfare support.”
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Esther Onyekesi, condemned the incident as “inhumane and a gross violation” of the rights and dignity of a child, and commended the police for their prompt response.
She warned that “persons found culpable of violating the rights of children would face the full weight of the law,” and called on residents to report suspected cases of maltreatment, neglect or other threats to children’s safety.
