Itong Peace
An 11-year-old boy, has been subjected to maltreatment and neglect in the hands of his stepmother and his father in Alagbado area of Ogun State.
Inquiries as to the whereabouts of his parents disclosed that the little boy stayed with his step mother who maltreats him and a father whose involvement with marijuana has made him neglect his child.
According to a mandated reporter, the boy sleeps outside while the father and the step mother sleep inside because the step mother complains he disturbs them inside the room
Meanwhile, report by an anonymous resident close to the family, said, that the step mother makes the boy to sleep outside without food and basic care. The boy, they said has never attended any school.
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The mandated reporter who is a neighbour according to him was bitter to meet him outside again in the night when he came back from work and had no choice than to report to Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, an NGO in Lagos.
Effort to rescue him from becoming another headache of future juvenile offender is on, as the NGO has reported to Ministry of Youth and Social Development.
The Child Rights Act adopted in Nigeria 2003 provides that the well being of every child must be respected and considered paramount in all issues affecting the child.
The Child Rights Act (2003) as stated in Article 15: (1) Every child has the right to free, compulsory and universal basic education and it shall be the duty of the Government in Nigeria to provide such education. (2) Every parent or guardian shall ensure that his child or ward attends and completes his— (a) Primary school education; and (b) Junior secondary education.
This is a fresh call to the government, the Police, and other stakeholders that the battle to ensure every child enjoy their fundamental rights is yet to be won.
Meanwhile, in one of his recent presentations, the former Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi , stated that investing in the education of children is the sure bet for controlling and avoiding imminent destruction in Nigeria.
