By Oluwatosin Maliki
Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC), have apprehended a 76-year-old man identified as David Ogunsanwo, for allegedly defiling a 16-year-old girl in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
While, confirming the incident, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Adijat Adeleye, explained to newsmen that the 16-year-old girl is currently five months pregnant.
Adeleye said the spike in the number of cases they deal with on a daily basis is a serious cause for concern.
She further expressed her worries over the spate of defilement in the society, stating that the case would be charged to court immediately after investigation.
Also, the Commissioner assured that her ministry would keep a close tab on the matter to ensure that justice is served.
Hence, the commissioner condemned such acts of sexual abuse on children in the country, while appealing to victims to always voice out, even as she called on parents to stop withdrawing cases because of victimisation.
Speaking further, Adeleye recalled a case were a 12-year-old girl was defiled by two men, and the father withdrew the case from the police probably out of shame, noting that he is regretting his actions because the same girl had been violated again.
The statement read, “We are aware that cases of violation and abuse are increasing. There’s a huge increase in these kinds of crimes, especially against children”.
“The incidents of people going to police, reporting and withdrawing the case is also increasing. And we want to draw the attention of all parents, that if your child is a victim of violation, report the case to the police and do not withdraw it, because when you withdraw the case, it gives the perpetrator the leeway to continue to do it and also do it to other children”.
“I am calling on the National Council of Women’s Society. We have a case of a 12-year-old girl, who has been violated before by two men. The case has been withdrawn by the father, and now she has been violated again by another person,” she stated.
Additionally, the former lawmaker stressed that sensitization is very important, so as to educate parents to stop withdrawing such cases, “because our biggest problem is that when things like these happen, parents say they don’t want to make it public.”