Nigeria – A 40-year old housewife, Iswat Taofeek has been arrested in Ogun state for allegedly using a hot knife to burn a 12-year-old old boy living with her.

Iswat Taofeek, a resident of No 36 Isoka Kugba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, was arrested after a neighbour took the injured boy to a police station to report the abuse.

The Ogun State Police command Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi disclosed this to newsmen on Monday Nov 23, in a statement issued in Abeokuta.

Oyeyemi said,

“The suspect was today arrested at about 8:30am, following a complaint by one of her neighbors who came to Adatan police station with the little boy whose body was full of injuries inflicted on him with a hot knife and cutlass.

“While the report was being lodged, the little boy fainted at the station and was quickly rushed to a hospital for medical attention”.

“On the strength of the report, the DPO Adatan division, CSP Samuel Aladegoroye detailed his detectives to the woman’s house where she was promptly arrested.

“On interrogation, the suspect explained that the little boy is a son to her brother-in-law and he has been living with her for some time.

“She stated further that she kept the sum of 5,000 Naira somewhere in the house but couldn’t find it and she believed that it was the boy who stole it and that was why she put a knife on fire until it was red hot before she used it to burn the little boy all over his body.”

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Edward Awolowo Ajogun has ordered the transfer of the case to anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the State Criminal investigation and intelligence department for further investigation and prosecution.