The police in Ondo state have apprehended a 39-year-old food vendor named Esther Godwin for allegedly pouring scalding hot water on a nursing mother, Endurance Samuel.
Esther accused Endurance of having an affair with her husband, which prompted the violent act. The incident occurred in the Olofin community of Idanre, located in the Idanre Local Government Area of the state.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Esther contacted Endurance by phone around 10 am on the fateful day. She requested her presence at her house to collect palm oil that Endurance’s husband, Sunday Godwin, owed her. Oblivious to Esther’s intentions, Endurance hurriedly went to Esther’s house with her baby, anticipating that she would receive the palm oil.
To Endurance’s surprise, Esther interrogated her about her alleged relationship with her husband after she took the baby from her. Endurance denied any romantic involvement, insisting she was merely working for him. In response, Esther abruptly entered the room and emerged, holding a kettle filled with boiling water, which she poured on Endurance’s body.
Despite Endurance’s attempts to escape, Esther forcibly dragged her into the house and doused her with the entire contents of the scalding water.
Following the attack, Endurance was immediately rushed to a health center in the town. However, due to the severity of her injuries, she was subsequently referred to the General Hospital in Alade Idanre, where she continues to receive medical treatment.
The victim, Endurance Samuel.
Endurance shared her harrowing experience, stating that although she worked on Esther’s husband’s farm, their relationship was strictly professional. She clarified that there was no romantic involvement between them and that they maintained a master-laborer dynamic.
Recounting the events leading up to the assault, she said, “Esther called me from where I was learning tailoring to come and collect the palm oil her husband owed me because I also work as a laborer for some farmers in the town. I rushed out of my employer’s shop excitedly, unaware that the call was a ploy to lure me to her own shop where she sold food, only to pour hot water on me for an offense I did not commit.”
The police from the state command have apprehended Esther, who is currently nursing a one-month-old baby. She was subsequently charged before the Magistrate Court in Idanre and is currently held at the Surulere Female Correctional Centre in Ondo. Her remand is scheduled to last until July 17, 2023.
Supporting Endurance’s statement, Esther’s husband, Godwin, denied romantic involvement with the victim. He emphasized that he has been actively responsible for Endurance’s medical treatment since the incident occurred. “I am the one paying for the victim’s treatment at the hospital since the incident happened till date,” he said.
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