Landlady pours hot water mixed with pepper on tenant

Amaka Okonkwo, a landlady in Anambra State, allegedly poured hot water mixed with pepper on a female tenant, Imabong William, over inability to pay her house rent.

The incident happened on Thursday in Enugu-Ukwu, a community in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.

Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, a media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in the state, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

The victim, an indigene of  Akwa Ibom State, south-south Nigeria, is receiving medical treatment at Zion Hospital Nawfia, another community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, according to the statement.

Why the landlady attacked her

Ms Ikeanyionwu said the victim narrated that the landlady asked her to vacate the house over her inability to pay her rent which was increased after the victim’s last rent expired in July.

The victim said she demanded some time to enable her to secure a new apartment.

But while she was washing her clothes on Thursday, the landlady poured hot water mixed with pepper on her.

The media aide said the landlady has been arrested and is currently being detained at the Police Divisional Headquarters in Nimo, a neighbouring community in the council area of the state.

She said there were reports that the landlady was boasting that she would be freed by the police.

On receipt of the information about the incident, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in the state, Mrs Obinabo, immediately visited the hospital to see the victim, Ms Ikeanyionwu said.

Mrs Obinabo commended the women in the community for their timely intervention in the situation and helping in the arrest of the suspect.

The commissioner expressed displeasure over the incident and vowed to get justice for the victim just as she warned that the Anambra State Government would not “take it lightly” with  anyone found culpable in any kind of assault in the state.

She advised residents of the state to always report crimes to the “appropriate channels” for quick intervention.

Meanwhile, the husband of the suspect, Ebere Okonkwo, upon interrogation denied any involvement in his wife’s action, according to the statement.

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Mr Okonkwo said although he was at home at the time of the incident, he was not aware of the wife’s “wicked intentions” towards the victim.

‘We’re not in support’

Speaking on the incident, some women leaders in the Enugu-Ukwu Community, Chiegbunam Nwosu and Florence Okoye, lauded the state government for responding to their call and maintained that the community was not in support of the act carried out on the victim.

The leaders visited the police division and the divisional police officer assured them that the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for “onward investigation.”