Edo State Ministry Rescues 11-Year-Old Girl Following Alleged Abuse, Orders Arrest of Suspects
THE Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has taken custody of an 11-year-old girl, Rejoice Godswill, following a viral video alleging that she was severely abused by her mother in the New Benin area of Benin City.
The disturbing video, recorded by human rights activist, Comrade Lucky Orukpe, showed the young girl with visible injuries and featured her mother, identified as Beauty, who admitted in the video to burning part of the child’s buttocks with melted nylon cellophane as punishment for what she described as stubborn behaviour.
Upon receiving the report, the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Eugenia Abdallah,
immediately directed the arrest of the child’s mother and stepfather to enable a thorough investigation into the allegations. The suspects are currently at the New Benin Divisional Police Station and are expected to be transferred to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation.
The Ministry has since taken the child into protective custody and is providing her with medical attention, psychosocial support and temporary shelter while investigations continue.
According to the mother’s account in the viral video, she carried out the act while her husband was away from home and said he later confronted her after learning of the incident.
However, some residents of the neighbourhood alleged that the child’s stepfather assisted in restraining Rejoice while the mother inflicted the injuries. These claims are subject to investigation by the police.
The child was also observed to have several old injury marks on different parts of her body, raising concerns about possible previous abuse. Authorities say these circumstances will form part of the ongoing investigation.
Commending Comrade Lucky Orukpe for promptly bringing the matter to the attention of the Ministry, Hon. Abdallah praised his continued commitment to the protection of vulnerable persons and other humanitarian causes.
The Commissioner reaffirmed the Edo State Government’s zero-tolerance policy on child abuse and warned parents, guardians and caregivers against subjecting children to any form of violence, cruelty or inhumane treatment.
She stressed that every child has the right to live in a safe and protective environment, assuring the public that the Ministry will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that anyone found culpable is held accountable in accordance with the law.
The Ministry also urged members of the public to promptly report cases of child abuse, neglect or exploitation to the appropriate authorities, emphasizing that protecting children is a collective responsibility.
