Grandma appears in court for physically abusing granddaughter

A 45-year-old business woman has been brought before an Ogba Magistrates Court, Ikeja, Lagos, for inflicting severe injuries on her five-year-old granddaughter.
The defendant, Mrs Ronke Shitta, who resides at Agege, Lagos, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Taiwo Akanni on a one-count charge of the indecent treatment
of a child.
The grandmother was accused of beating the minor with a stick, causing various degrees of injuries on the child.
Prosecuting Inspector, Clifford Ogu, alleged that the incident occurred at her residence on January 15 at around 2:00 pm.
Ogu said, “The grandma indecently battered her granddaughter with a big stick, which gave her permanent marks. The neighbours said that was her usual way of beating the five-year-old girl and that she also sends her errands that were too much for her age.”
He told the court that the incident was posted on Facebook before some concerned persons reported it to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution.
The DPP referred the matter to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, which, on January 17, began investigation.
According to Ogu, when a DSVRT team visited the defendant’s home to rescue the child and take her into protective custody, the defendant had fled.
The defendant’s husband, however, promised to bring her to the Gender Desk of the Police Command in Lagos the following day and he did.
“The child was subsequently taken into protective custody,” he said.
The alleged offence, the prosecutor added, contravened Section 135 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
Chief Magistrate Akanni granted her N100,000 bail with two sureties in the like
sum.
She adjourned the case till August 2, 2018 for
trial.