A woman, Nkechi Ibrahim, who allegedly flogged her 6-year-old niece and tied her legs to a table for eating an extra plate of rice, was on Friday arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court. Ibrahim, 43, who resides at 5 Omoojule St., Balogun Bus Stop, Iju Ishaga, a Lagos suburb, was docked for assault, an offence she denied committing. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B. O. Osunsemi admitted the accused to N200,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

Osunsemi said the sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and their addresses must be verified by the court. She added that the sureties must be blood relatives of the accused and they must reside within the court’s jurisdiction. She adjourned the case until February 25 for trial. The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that the accused caned one Christabel Olatunji, tied her legs to a table, shut the door and went out.

Ayorinde told the court that the accused committed the offence on January 17 at 5pm at her residence. He said the accused hit the niece head on the wall before she tied her legs to a table. Ayorinde said the extra plate of rice was kept for the accused daughter. “The landlord of the house, who heard the groaning of the niece, opened the door and rushed her to a nearby hospital. “The social workers at the hospital reported the matter to the police,” he said

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, (Revised). The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Section stipulates three years imprisonment for offenders.