A widow and 36-year-old mother of four, Mrs Opeyemi Omoyemi, was yesterday
sentenced to four and half years in prison for brutalizing and inflicting body injuries on his 12-year-old house helped Joel Sunday for stealing a piece of meat.
A Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital sentenced Owoyemi following her arraignment on a five-count charge.
She was sentenced to three and half years imprisonment with hard labour on count one charge bothering on grievous harm, while she bagged one-year imprisonment on count five.
The defendant was said to have used a stick and razorblade to inflict multiple injuries on the body of the house help which she accused of stealing pieces of meat from the pot of soup.
Omoyemi, according to the police prosecutor, Emmanuel Tanimowo was said to have committed the offence on February 6, 2022, at her residence located at Idimango Adewale axis of Ondo road, Akure, the state capital
Tanimowo, during the trial, applied for the withdrawal of the count four charges which were granted by the Magistrate, Mrs O.A Edwin.
The Defense Counsel, Folusho Kayode, who pleaded with the court to be lenient with the defendant said that the defendant was a first time offender.
Kayode also informed the court that Omoyemi who is a mother of four little children had been the one responsible for the welfare of the victim.
According to him “The court should be lenient in passing sentence on the defendant. The prayer for leniency is that the defendant has been the one solely responsible for the wellbeing and education of the 12-year-old Sunday. She has been doing this dutifully for the past four years since the death of her husband.
“The defendant has kids and they have been crying since the incident happened as they could not see their mother.
“The defendant is a first offender and has never been arrested for any inhuman behaviour. The court should graciously pass the sentence.”
Delivering judgement, the trial magistrate said that the sentence will run concurrently.
Magistrate Edwin added that “I know that the defendant is a first-time offender but the facts of the offences are not only an abuse on the victim but an offence against public policy.
“The sentence must therefore want to deter others and also ensure that justice is done to the victim.”
Magistrate Edwin has also adjourned the case to April 13, 2022, for trial in count three of the charge bothering on trafficking in persons to which the defendant had pleaded not guilty.
Justice served, such cruelty won’t be tolerated in Ondo – Akeredolu’s wife
Speaking on the court verdict, the Wife of the Ondo state governor, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu expressed delight that justice has been served.
Akeredolu who decried maltreatment of house helps by people in the society said that such would not be tolerated in the state and that culprits would be brought to book not minding their status in the state.
The wife of the governor asked the state police command to track down the Pastor who handed over the victim to the convict as a house help.
She lauded the judiciary for the quick dispensation of justice adding that it would serve as deterrent to others who take joy in maltreating their house help thereby turning them to animals.
Mrs Akeredolu promised that the state government in conjunction with other partners would assist the kids.
** Children left Kebbi state cos of insecurity
The father of the victims, Danladi Yahi said he handed over the kids to a pastor in Kebbi state who promised to help send them to school in the southwest because of the problem of insecurity occasioned by the Book Haram insurgency.
Yahi said that he was disturbed to find out that his children were turned to house helps in Akure, the Ondo state capital.
According to him ” We ran away from death in Kebbi state by allowing the children to come down south only for them to be subjected to maltreatment which almost resulted to terminating their lives.
He lauded the Press and the office of the wife of the governor for promptly reacting to the maltreatment of the kids which had landed the culprit in prison.
Yahi also lauded the judiciary describing it as ” truly the last hope of the common man.
Also speaking, Mrs Catherine Ogunjebi, who held a brief for the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, Ondo State chapter said that ” lt is wrong for her to have had two children, 12 years and 10 years in her custody for the purpose of domestic help. This is against the Child Right Law of Ondo State and Child Right Act 2003 of Nigeria.”
