A Magistrate’s Court in Owerri, has ordered the remand of a 38 -year -old businesswoman, Juliet Igwe, at the Owerri correctional centre for using candlelight to burn her five year old’s private parts.
Apart from using candle wats to destroy the minor’s Vagina, the Court held that the accused also used boiled water to peel off the child’s hands and used candlelight to inflict multiple injuries on the girl’s body.
The accused was arraigned by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Aboki Danjuma, on Thursday on a count charge of attempted murder.
The charge read ” that you Juliet Igwe, 38, and others now at large on the 25th of November 2025, at Oha in Ideato North LGA triable in the Owerri magisterial District did with intent unlawfully to kill one Onyinyechi Madueke, aged five, by using candle flame wax to burn her Virginia and forced her to put her two hands in a boiling water that does her grievous harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 320 of the criminal code CAP 30, volume 11 law of Eastern Nigeria 1963 as applicable in Imo State of Nigeria.”
The police prosecutor, S.O Obodo, told the Court that the offence was punishable with life imprisonment and asked the court to remand the accused in prison for not having the jurisdiction to try the matter.
When questioned by the court, the woman admitted having committed the offence but said that she didn’t know that it was going to be that grievous.
In her ruling, the Chief magistrate, B. U Adikibe, agreed with the prosecutor that the crime was punishable with life imprisonment upon conviction.
She also agreed that she lacked the jurisdiction to commence trial on the matter.
She therefore remanded the accused in the Owerri Correctional facility and ordered that the case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution in the state for legal advise and action.
The jurist thereafter fixed February 5, 2025, for the report on DPP’s advance.
While the accused had no legal representation in Court, Mariam Ogbu, watched brief for the state ministry of justice.
The commissioner for women affairs and vulnerable groups in the state, Nkechi Ugwu was in court and said that she was going to brief the wife of the governor, Chioma Uzodimma, whom she said had interest in the matter.