- Enugu East Chief Magistrate's Court has remanded Anthony Onyeukwu, 47, for allegedly causing the death of his 11-year-old houseboy, Goodluck John
- Onyeukwu reportedly claimed the boy died from illness and was buried without notifying authorities, but hospital records showed no evidence to support his statements
- Enugu State officials, including Commissioner Ngozi Enih and the Governor’s Wife, reaffirmed their commitment to eradicating child abuse
A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Enugu East has ordered the remand of 47-year-old Anthony Onyeukwu for allegedly causing the death of his 11-year-old houseboy, Goodluck John.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Commissioner for Gender, Ngozi Enih, stated that the move “Is a part of Enugu State’s ongoing efforts to combat child abuse.”
Enih emphasised that Onyeukwu's arrest was initiated through a tip-off from the ministry’s whistleblower channels, hinting that the boy’s death was linked to abuse suffered within his employer’s household.
Onyeukwu reportedly buried the young boy's remains hastily in Abia State without informing relevant authorities, asserting that Goodluck had succumbed to an illness at Park Lane Hospital, Enugu. Contradicting this claim, hospital records showed no evidence of the boy’s admission or any record of his death there.
During the court proceedings last week, Police Prosecutor Inspector Calista Ifeanyi argued that Onyeukwu’s actions are punishable under Enugu State’s Revised Criminal Code, reflecting the state’s firm resolve to uphold child protection as mandated by the 2016 Child’s Rights and Responsibility Law.
The charge sheet, identified as CME/631C/2024, outlined that “Onyeukwu Anthony, ‘m’, on the 15th day of October 2024, at about 20:30 hours, at No. 4, Mike Onyeka Close, Loma Linda Extension, Maryland, Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did unlawfully kill one Goodluck John ‘m’ aged 11 years and thereby committed an offence 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 Onyeukwu’s remand at the Correctional Centre in Enugu, adjourning the case until November 20, 2024, pending a report from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice, Enugu.
Enugu State’s action against child abuse
Meanwhile, the Wife of the Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, has issued a stern warning against any form of child abuse, emphasising that offenders will not go unpunished.
Reacting to the incident, Commissioner Ngozi Enih reaffirmed that the arrest stemmed from verified information that the victim’s death was linked to abuse from the family he was living with.
Ogun Govt shuts school, suspends principal over death of student
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously reported the death incident that happened in Ogun State, in which an SS2 student died from complications after allegedly receiving 164 strokes of the cane from a teacher of the school, Amzadjo Elijah, who had since been arrested alongside the principal.
The state government also suspended the teacher involved and the principal for allowing such punishment on the student, which is against the state’s rules and regulations.
As a way of consolation, representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology visited the victim’s family to offer their condolences and offered N500,000 to commiserate with them for the loss.
