Child abuse: FCTA embarks on name and shame

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has adopted the strategy of ‘name and shame’ as part of efforts to curb child abuse, just as it has arraigned seven persons before the FCT Family Court for various offenses.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Director, Gender Department of the FCT Social Development Secretariat, Dr. Agnes Hart, expressed worry over the increasing rate of child abuse in the territory.

She disclosed that the department entertains an average of four assault cases every week, stressing that the administration has zero tolerance for any form of abuse on any resident.

The director warned that the full weight of the law will be applied to anyone found guilty of abusing other people, especially children.

“Here in the FCT we have a sexual and gender base response team and we have zero tolerance to any form of abuse against any resident, let alone violence on a child. Nobody in the FCT can molest a child and go scot free.

“The Child Right Act 2003 is very clear on that; every child has the right to life, right to quality education, right to healthcare and other fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution and we are here to protect the interest of the child to the later.

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“This week alone, we have received four cases of child abuse and violence against children and this has been the trend. Presently, we have seven such cases in the FCT Family Court and we are going to follow through with all of such cases,” Hart assured.

Earlier some guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Moses Onoja, and Mrs. Ada Okamba, were paraded for allegedly assaulting and inflicting serious injuries on 10-year- old Precious and 14-year -old Chineye Nwoka respectively. 

The victims were both noticed by their teachers who reported the assault to the FCT Gender Department.