Gbenro Adesina
Cases of child abuse are on the rise in Oyo State with about 17 cases being reported between March and June 2020 in the state.
The Chairman of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion’s Rapid Response Team on Sexual, Gender Based Violence and Child Abuse, Pastor Marcus Williams revealed this today while presenting his report on practical and technical activities of the team within the last three months of its inauguration, adding that the victims of abuse were between one to 17 years of age.
At the meeting, a 13 year old girl, Anuoluwapo Ayodele, who was rescued from her abductor was reunited with her family.
Anuoluwapo, the only child of her parents, lived with her father, Samuel Ayodele, a 67 years old Farmer at Imota, Ikorodu of Lagos State until she found herself abducted.
According to her, her male abductor, who is about 30 years of age, deceived her that he knew where her mother, whom she had never met, lives and that he would take her to her mother. This made her to follow him to to Oke Ado Area of Ibadan.
She stated, “I always asked my father about my mother’s whereabouts, but he never told me the truth that my mother is dead. When I saw someone that promised to take me to my mother, I was very happy to follow him because I have always desired to know my mother not knowing that the man has evil plans for me”.
Handing over Anuoluwapo to her paternal Aunt, Mrs Yemi Abayomi, a 43 years old trader, the Chairman of the team, Pastor Williams described her as a promising and bold child, who fought the perpetrator to ensure that he did not take advantage of her while he left the young girl with series of wounds and bruises on her body.
He stated that she was rescued during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and was immediately isolated in one of the alternative shelter for proper care, charging the guardian to treat her like her biological daughter in other to ease the trauma she went through.
Similarly, a case of rape was reported of a 13 years old girl, Aliyat Emiola, who lived with her paternal grandmother at Ijaye village, Atan, Iwinsola Moniya, Ibadan.
The alleged perpetrator, Usman Raji, a 16 years old boy has been arrested for further investigation, while the girl was taken to Adeoyo state hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan for further examinations and proper treatment, as she claimed to be bleeding through her virginal since the incident happened.
An alternative shelter has also been provided for her to ease the burden of her trauma.
During the meeting, Pastor Williams intimated the Ministry about the cases so far reported to his team, rescue operations carried out, protection, care, maximum support cum alternative shelter provided to survivors, which include three males and 14 females.
He explained that part of the mandate of the team was to prevent and protect women, children and men from violence and other ill – treatment through an holistic practice response, which is multi-sectoral and child-centered.
According to him, the move has increased the number of children that enjoyed democratic dividend; access to free health care and education and have their rights upheld in the state.
Among the hindrances the team were confronting include inaccurate report about abused individuals, insufficient witnesses, cultural values and family pressure of the survivors to abort prosecution of offenders.
Earlier, in her remarks, the State Commissioner for Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni, who spoke through her Permanent Secretary, Mrs Christiana Abioye, appreciated the efforts of the team, stressing that most of the cases reported happened during Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
She said that security agencies and non-governmental organisations have been collaborating with the Ministry to see that cases of rape and gender based violence were dealt with accordingly.
She frowned at the way some private radio stations and on-air personalities report sexual, gender based violence and child abuse cases saying, “Majority of them are biased and not objective in their reports. They allowed emotions to override professionalism, thereby failing to balance whatever stories they heard through proper investigations and enquiry from the Ministry and appropriate agencies before publicising it, especially, through various social media handles”.
She, therefore, admonished philanthropists who have passion to care and advocate for the survivors and less privileged to follow due process of registration as the state government would not spare anyone jeopardising its efforts.
