A food vendor in the Oshodi area of Lagos, Mrs Mary Omifunto, emptied a pot of hot water on her 14-year-old daughter, Kaosarat, inflicting burns on many parts of her body, reports have said.

It was learnt that the teenager’s offence was that she refused to assist her mother, who sells rice, to hawk the food last Sunday.

Omifunto had a lot of unsold beef the previous day and decided to cook food on Sunday so the meat would not spoil.

Kaosarat, a primary 5 pupil, was said to have declined when her mother asked her to hawk that Sunday.

Angered by her defiance, the mother was said to have slapped Kaosarat, who allegedly replied the slap.

In a fit of anger, Omifunto reportedly went for hot water on the fire and poured it on her, scalding her back and leg.

When the Guidance and Counselling Unit of the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Education Authority got wind of the incident, they reported the case to the police at the Akinpelu Division who arrested the mother.

A child rights activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the case had been transferred to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja.

The official said,

“The woman’s shop is at Dipo-Olu in Oshodi but she lives on Brown Street with the girl. Last Sunday, the girl declined to hawk. It resulted in an argument and she slapped her. She said her daughter slapped her back but the girl denied it. She wanted to hit her with a metal object but people intervened and collected it from her.

“She then went for water she was boiling and poured it on the girl. She (Kaosarat) ran to a nearby health centre. Some officials from the hospital came and halted the woman’s cooking for the day. They asked her to get some prescribed drugs but she tore the paper. It was her neighbours who contributed N10,000 to buy some drugs.

“The girl is her first child. She has divorced her father after three children and remarried with another child.”

The Coordinator, Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, Mr Ebenezer Omejalile, said the organisation was also following up the case.

He said,

“The incident happened on December 13. They have a lot of unsold beef. The mother said she had told her on Saturday that she would hawk the following day so that the meat would not waste. The girl declined and in the ensuing altercation, she poured water on her.

“The perpetrator is currently in police custody of Akinpelu. The girl school’s social worker is aware of the case.”

The police spokesperson in the state, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, said Omifunto would be charged after investigation and urged parents to always control their anger.

He added,

“The Commissioner of Police has condemned the act. It is surprising why someone would do such a thing to her biological daughter. The girl is in pain. It is quite unfortunate.”