5th January, 2018
Mrs Bolanle Amupitan, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Kogi, has called on all care givers to stop abusing the children under their care.
She gave the warning during the handing over of an abused girl – name withheld – to her biological father in her office in Lokoja on Friday.
Amunpitan said that a case of child abuse was brought to her ministry on Jan. 2, by a well wisher who said she saw a girl who had been homeless since December.
“Findings by the ministry revealed that it is not the first time of the girl was running away from home due to constant beating by the caregiver whenever her husband was not home,’’ she said.
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Commissioner implored care givers to always treat the children under their care as their own “because nobody knows tomorrow’’.
The caregiver, Mrs Ikechi Ezechukwu claimed that the girl was stubborn and wicked.
“She runs out of the house each time she is being scolded and at a time she was beating my 17 months old baby,’’ she said.
NAN reports that handing over took place after much deliberation as the commissioner scolded and warned the care giver to desist from maltreating children under her care.
She also warned her to learn to control her anger and understand children and ordered that the girl be returned to her parents.
The girl was handed over to Elder Donatus Iheme of Bledon Supermarket, who represented her father to be taken to her biological father in Akokwa in Imo before Jan 7.