The Anambra State government declaring a legal practitioner, Adachukwu Okafor, who allegedly brutalised her 11-year-old housekeeper in Onitsha, is commendable.

Development Diaries reports that the police in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria, say they have launched a manhunt for Adachukwu Okafor, who assaulted 11-year-old Happiness Nwafor.

We understood that Okafor allegedly used various objects like a broken bottle, knife, and electric iron to harm the 11-year-old, as a video that surfaced online showed her covered in burns.

The Child Rights Act (CRA) in Nigeria provides legal protection for children against abuse, including physical violence.

While the Anambra State government has declared Okafor wanted, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has placed a two million naira bounty on her, the police in the state must pull out all the stops to ensure that the culprit is caught and punished.

If a perpetrator of child assault evades accountability, it sends a dangerous message that such actions are acceptable, further endangering other children and undermining efforts to combat child abuse.

According to the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act, anyone who knowingly uses a weapon, substance, or item to cause bodily harm to another person faces a five-year prison sentence, a N100,000 fine, or both.

Development Diaries calls on the police in Anambra State to deploy all mechanisms to ensure Okafor is made to face the law.

We also call on the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, to provide comprehensive support services to assist the minor, Nwafor, in her recovery and healing journey.