Woman pours hot water on nursing mother

A woman, identified as Esther Williams, has been arrested by the Isheri division of the Lagos State Police Command for pouring hot water on her neighbour, Mabel Enwongomfon–Umoh, who is a nursing mother.

Williams, who is said to be in her late 30s, was said to have emptied a bucket of hot water on Mabel after they had a minor argument in their rented house on Thursday, December 24, 2015, around 8pm.

The incident left Mabel, who was still breastfeeding her two-month-old baby, with severe burns on many parts of her body, including her two breasts and abdomen.

The woman had not been able to breastfeed her baby since the incident happened.

The husband of the victim, who identified himself simply as Umoh, said that Williams attempted to escape after assaulting his wife, but he was able to apprehend and hand her over to the police.

Mabel, 27, who was evidently writhing in pains on the hospital bed when our correspondent visited, told our correspondent that it was a fight between some of her co-tenants in front of her room that led to the incident.

She explained that Williams, who poured the water on her, had nothing to do with the quarrel.

She said, “My neighbour’s brother and his girlfriend were fighting and they pushed themselves to the front of my door. When I could not cope with the disturbance again, I went outside to call the guy’s sister to come and separate them or make them leave our entrance.

“As I was going back to my room, Williams, who had nothing with the fight, asked why I called the sister, saying I was interfering in something that did not concern me. I told her that they were fighting in front of my room, but she pushed me. I was surprised because we never had a quarrel before then.

“That was how we started shouting on each other.”

She recalled that it was the noise from the fight that drew the attention of her husband who was in the room with their two children. She said her husband came out to separate them and they were already going back to their apartment when Mabel ran into her room to carry the bucket of water and poured it on her.

She said, “I was in the front while my husband was behind me. Suddenly, she went into her room and came out with a bucket and poured the content on me.

“I have been in serious pain since then, and I have not been able to breastfeed my two-month-old baby, who is my second child.”

A police source told our correspondent that Williams had confessed to the crime and that she blamed the devil for the act.

“She would be charged to court,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, said he would get back to our correspondent on the incident.

“Let me call the DPO of the division and get back to you,” he added.

Punch