We will give N2 million to anybody that will provide information on Adachukwu – Minister

The Ministry of Women Affairs has placed a N2 million bounty on an Anambra-based lawyer, Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, who is on the run for allegedly assaulting her 11-year-old housemaid.

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye made this known in a press briefing yesterday in Abuja. She urged Nigerians to be on the lookout for Mrs Cukelu-Okafor or provide helpful information that could lead to her arrest.

She stressed that all issues concerning women and children are within her purview, and she would waste no time to weigh on matters like this in the future. She also stressed that the current case is of grave concern to the federal government.

“The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is offering N2 million to anybody that will lay hands on this woman and hand her over to the police. We need this woman urgently because the girl is in pain and has been in the hospital. It could be your child or anybody’s relation, so let us not fold our hands.

“We will give N2 million to anybody that will provide necessary information to the police or the women’s affairs ministry on how to get Adachukwu, the lawyer who did all those harmful things to her housemaid.

“I kept quiet initially because I thought that by now, it would have been solved by the state government since they were aware of it. But since it has not been resolved, I have decided to wade in. It is within my purview to get involved in anything that involves women and children across Nigeria,” she added.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said the ministry would act on minors becoming housemaids and encouraged whistleblowers to provide information to help the ministry fight this menace.

“There’ll be a pronouncement on that within a week from now. And there’ll be an enforcement programme towards that action. And we will need whistleblowers who are Nigerians to come out and fight for your country.

“Especially now that you have a President who listens to your problems and is eager to solve them. We should come out. Don’t rely on or fear anybody; come out and give information about anything that will help this country. If you don’t know anywhere to go to, come to the Federal Minister of Women Affairs, and you will see immediate action,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, a few days ago said his administration had begun the prosecution of Ms Cukelu-Okafor over the abuse of her 11-year-old housemaid.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Governor Soludo said the abuse of minors and vulnerable persons was not tolerated in the state. He said it is the highest sign of weakness for anyone to abuse or violate the vulnerable. 

A viral video of Happiness was seen with iron-stamp burns on parts of her body, allegedly inflicted by her guardian, whom she began living with on 5 January.

In the incident, which reportedly happened in Akpaka, Onitsha, in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Mrs Cukelu-Okafor reportedly accused Happiness of touching her daughter.

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