A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Imo State has sentenced a woman, Rose Okon, to six months in prison for assaulting her 14-year-old niece, Favour Emmanuel, by pouring hot water on her head and body.
Okon was convicted and sentenced on Friday, October 2, 2026, by Chief Magistrate C.J. Nkwoada after she pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of assault.
The incident occurred on September 19, 2026, at Umuneke, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, where the victim was in Okon’s care.
The charge stated that Okon assaulted the minor by pouring hot water on her head and body, causing her grievous harm. The offence was brought under Section 355 of the Criminal Code, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as applicable in Imo State.
During the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Sampson Obodo, presented photographs showing the injuries sustained by the minor, alongside statements made by the complainant, the victim and the Stand For Humanity Foundation.
Okon pleaded with the court for mercy before sentencing, while her counsel, Innocent Onyekwere, also urged the magistrate to temper justice with mercy.
The court, however, sentenced her to six months’ imprisonment but gave her the option of paying a ₦50,000 fine instead of serving the jail term.
The case followed a petition by the Stand For Humanity Foundation, led by journalist and child-rights advocate Chidiebube Okeoma, which supported the prosecution and pursued the matter to court.
