Nigerian police have arrested a woman who was captured on camera beating a 10-year-old boy and locking him up in a dog cage, a police spokesperson said on Thursday.
The video of the 24-year-old woman beating the young boy went viral on social media, sparking calls from Nigerians to have the woman apprehended.
Police in the West African country confirmed on Wednesday that they were looking into the video and would act accordingly.
The woman – who has not been publicly named by the authorities – was arrested on Thursday in Lagos. At the time of arrest, she was found with the boy whom she identified as her relative.
“She actually confessed that she was the one in the video and that he is a cousin who came to live with her after he lost his parents,” Elkana told CNN.
“The Gender Unit traced the suspect to Chumpe Liquor Store, Surulere and her residence at Aguda. The 10 year-old boy was rescued and taken to a secured shelter,’’ Lagos State Police spokesperson Bala Elkana said in a statement.
The woman is said to have taken the action as a punitive measure against the young boy.
The authorities reiterated their commitment to safeguarding human rights, and condemned all forms of domestic violence.
The woman is expected to be arraigned in court on Friday.
