Child Abuse and Rape

By Aisha Linatu Abdulrahman

Over the last few weeks starting from the #JusticeForJibril, we have seen an incessant reports of child abuse in Northern Nigeria. Numerous Children, Youths and Adults have been reportedly locked by Parents and Guardians for a period of time under the guise of either drug abuse, lack of parental concern and for Jibril was because his mother was dead.

 I wonder as a community how that all went down and none of the community members could actually do anything about it before it escalated. The hausa community typically live together with children freely going to neighbors to play, Adults randomly checking in or coming in to ask for as little as a spice and to some extent even eating together. I wonder with that type of community that practically lived together, where were they when a child like Jibril was chained for 2 years in an animal shed feeding on their faeces and physically deformed? But when i look at it, i say to myself "for a community that endorsed Almajiranci as a way of life for their children then i guessed there is no shock on what they can do."

The issue of Child Abuse is an underlying one and will probably take years to deal with but we can still take active measures to sensitize the public and pass the legislation that will punish offenders. Right now only few states passed the Children Rights Act.

These are some of the abuses children faced by their primary caregivers and the community let it be possibly because they believe that was right? How then can children that grew up in that kind of toxic environment be able to give love back when they don't know love? How can the leaders of tomorrow be good and kind leaders when the whole community turned a blind eye in their time of need?

At this rate, i believe we have thousands that are still kept in isolation waiting to be rescued. What is the way forward? Will you do your bid to do the needful in your community?

Sign up with CBOs, CSOs and NGOs or report directly to the Law Enforcement Agencies. Let's work collectively to end this menace.