Operatives of the Bayelsa State Police Command have arrested a woman, identified as Esther Otoniye, for allegedly using a hot knife to inflict burns on the buttocks of her 10-year-old stepdaughter at her residence in the Akenfa suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital.
The Primary Three pupil’s body was also covered with scars, indicating that she could have been severely beaten by the Otoniye.
The suspect, who denied the allegation, accused the little girl of lying against her, claiming the burns on the victim’s buttock were caused accidentally by hot water.
The victim, however, said Otoniye burnt her with a hot knife for telling a lie.
However, the Commissioner of Police, Ben Okolo, ordered Otoniye’s arrest following complaints against her by some women and child rights groups.
The gender desk at the state police command in charge of the case was said to have taken the victim to the police clinic for an examination.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Asinim Butswat, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.
“It is a case where the stepmother used a hot knife to inflict bodily injuries on a 10-year-old stepdaughter. Investigation is ongoing,” Butswat added.