A Chief Magistrate’s Court in the Enugu East Magisterial District has ordered the detention of Mr. Anthony Onyeukwu in connection with the death of Goodluck John, an 11-year-old houseboy.
The Enugu State Government emphasized that this move is part of its ongoing campaign against child abuse.
Mrs. Ngozi Enih, Enugu’s Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, revealed that Mr. Onyeukwu, 47, was arrested after a tip from one of the Ministry’s whistleblower channels suggested that Goodluck John’s death was related to mistreatment by the family he lived with as a houseboy.
Reportedly, Mr. Onyeukwu arranged for the boy’s burial in his hometown in Abia State without notifying authorities. He claimed that the boy died from an illness at Park Lane Hospital, Enugu, but there were no hospital records confirming his admission or the transfer of his remains to the morgue.
Last week, Police Prosecutor Inspector Calista Ifeanyi informed the presiding Chief Magistrate, Ngozi Edeh Anih, that Mr. Onyeukwu’s actions constitute a punishable offense under the Enugu State Criminal Code.
The charge sheet, marked CME/631C/2024, stated: “That you, Onyeukwu Anthony ‘m’, on the 15th day of October, 2024, at around 8:30 PM, at No. 4 Mike Onyeka Close, Loma Linda Extension, Maryland, Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this court, did unlawfully kill one Goodluck John ‘m’, aged 11, thereby committing an offense punishable under Section 274 (1) of the Criminal Code, CAP 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.”
The Chief Magistrate ordered Mr. Onyeukwu’s remand in the Enugu Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to November 20, 2024, when a report from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice, Enugu, is expected.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, the wife of the Governor of Enugu State, issued a stern warning against child abuse in the state, emphasizing that such actions will not go unpunished.
SOURCE: SOUTH EAST DAILY