Woman arraigned for breaking 12-year-old son’s head in Lagos

The Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, arraigned a woman, Balikisu Musa, before the Ogba Magistrates’ Court for allegedly inflicting injuries on her 12-year-old son in the course of beating him.

Officials of the Directorate for Citizen’s Rights had on Monday rescued the boy and took him to a government facility, while Balikisu was arrested after a post about the alleged assault went viral on the social media.

Balikisu was arraigned on one count of assault before the court.

She pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The court admitted her to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the matter till April 29, 2020.

An eyewitness, Ibrahim Abanikannda, who posted the alleged assault on Facebook, told our correspondent that Balikisu was in the habit of maltreating her son, Ayomide Adegbore.

He said, “I was in my room when I heard a noise and I came out to see what was happening.

“I saw one of my brothers yelling at someone and a little boy was standing where our septic tank is located, and when I asked what happened, my brother told me that the boy’s mother broke his head.

“I drew the boy closer to see what happened to him and he said his mother beat me on his head with a plank that had nails on it.

“After the mother had beaten him, he was sent out of the house and that was what led him to our house to seek refuge.

“I called the mother to ask if she was the one who gave birth to him and why she would beat the boy to the extent that blood was gushing out of his head and she said she beat him because he provoked her and would not listen to what she told him.

“I told her to take the boy to the hospital and it took her about 40 minutes before she reluctantly responded and I told the landlord’s son to ensure that the woman took the boy to the hospital.

“When I woke up the next morning, I saw the boy walking somehow without being treated and I posted the incident on Facebook so that the necessary authorities would take it up.

“I was told by other neighbours that this was not the first time she would treat the boy like that and what pained me most was that the woman’s husband was also maltreating the boy.

“The boy told me that the man used a pair of pliers on his private parts and when I checked, I could see signs on the boy’s private parts and the stepfather did not show any remorse for what he did; he said it was a free world and he could do whatever he liked.”

Abanikannda stated that he was surprised that Balikisu’s husband was not arrested as he was an accomplice in the boy’s assault.