The Menace of Child Maltreatment: A growing threat to Nigeria’s future, by Gift Luckson
Child maltreatment remains a serious problem in Nigeria, with many disturbing cases reported in many states daily.
Child maltreatment includes abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual), neglect, exploitation, trafficking, and harmful treatment of children. It violates children’s rights to safety, health, and development, and has long-term psychological, physical and social consequences. In Nigeria, while laws exist (e.g., the Child Rights Act, anti-trafficking laws), enforcement is uneven, and cultural, economic, or social factors often complicate prevention and redress.
Recent cases
Several serious instances have been reported in different states across Nigeria, showing different forms of maltreatment.
Chaining, starving, and inhuman treatment of a 5-year-old boy in Bauchi
A boy named Hussaini was rescued by the Bauchi State Police after being chained in a room and starved for three days by his father in Gwallagan Mayaka, Bauchi metropolis.
The father claimed the extreme measure prevented the child from “stealing their neighbours’ valuables.”
READ ALSO: “I told my mum, but she did nothing,” 14-year-old girl narrates sexual abuse by stepfather
The child was found unconscious and in a severely malnourished state.
Sexual abuse of a 12-year-old boy by a 40-year-old woman
A boy who was an Arabic school pupil was reportedly housed by a woman in Tashan Jama’are, Katagum Local Government, and was subjected to inappropriate conduct for about two months.
Bauchi State has recorded 226 cases of minor rape over a period of three years. The state government and civil society groups report that these incidents almost always involve children and that efforts are being made to set up referral centres and provide free legal and medical aid.
Abuja (Federal Capital Territory)
Abuja has also seen several instances of child maltreatment, including abuse, neglect, and trafficking.
Abuse and torture of a 14-year-old internally displaced (IDP) girl
Bashariyya Usman, a 14-year-old from Zamfara, living in an IDP camp, was rescued by NAPTIP after a video surfaced showing signs of severe maltreatment, exploitation, and torture.
She was recruited under the guise of domestic help with promises of formal education, but later allegedly beaten, starved, locked up, and emotionally distressed.
Maltreatment of a 10-year-old girl living with a relative
In Dawaki, Abuja, a video circulated showing a 10-year-old girl, Oluebibe Emmanuel, being cruelly treated by her relative.
READ ALSO: Woman remanded for sexual abuse of 14-year-old boy
After the video gained attention, the Abuja FCT Police ordered the arrest of the suspect and arranged for the girl’s recovery and medical attention.
Neglect in an orphanage alleged trafficking and hunger
The Priesthood Orphanage in Karonmajigi, Abuja, was sealed after an investigation revealed that 23 children (ages 1-14), trafficked from Plateau State, were being kept in dire conditions for up to five years, facing hunger and neglect.
Broader Implications
Variety of abuses: These cases show physical abuse (chaining, starvation, beatings), sexual abuse, neglect (orphanage conditions), and exploitation.
Vulnerable settings: Many victims are children in precarious situations — displaced, living with non-parents, or in informal care settings.
READ ALSO: 41-year-old Nosakhare sentenced for sexual abuse of girlfriend’s minor daughter
Weak detection/reporting: In many instances, the maltreatment could continue for days/weeks before intervention, often due to lack of awareness, fear, or negligence.
Legal responses: In some cases, arrests have been made, though outcomes (trials, convictions) are not always transparent or swift. There is a need for increased public pressure and media involvement in ensuring justice.
Need for policy enforcement and societal involvement: Government agencies like NAPTIP, police, social welfare departments, and NGOs are involved, but more robust enforcement, better social services, education of parents/guardians, and community vigilance are essential.
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