…NWTF calls for action
The Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) has watched with utmost dismay the new wave of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) spreading all over social media, the latest of which is the case of a father under-dressing his child for adult entertainment.
This trend is not only worrying but calls for concerted efforts to nip it in the bud. It became more worrying to see parents, who should be protecting their children, using minors for pornographic and adult content without shame or remorse.
We condemn the action of the 28-year-old man known as Mr. Suleiman in Edo State for using his four-year-old daughter for adult content on social media with a claim of making her a model and celebrity.
We frown at all actions against the growth and well-being of the girl child and every form of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
While dressing children as adults may seem “cool and trendy” to the perpetrator, this act is an act of sexual violence on a minor who is far below the age of consent. This condemnable behaviour of Mr. Suleiman is capable of putting the minor under undue pressure while growing up, to fit a certain image, that may be hard for the child to achieve.
This bizarre act robs a minor of the joy of being a child. Childhood is a precious time in the life of a human being and should be enjoyed by the child and the other family members. Parents should promote a healthy and positive childhood by letting kids be kids and dress them appropriately.
It is worrisome when parents indulge in this act out of desperation to trend on social media platforms
We, however, extol the Nigerian Police Force for its swift action in arresting the child’s father within 12 hours; as this would serve as a lesson to any other parent thinking of exploiting their minors in such a manner. We recommend that Mr. Suleiman gets a psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental health status and whether he is fit to be a father to a minor. We hope that the laws of the State would be followed in his prosecution, should the police determine that he was of a sound mind when he committed this heinous act.
We also commend the Edo State Government for taking the child into custody, while urging the government to ensure that she gets the best care after.
We must not forget to praise the public for their outcry on the crime against a minor and the deprivation of childhood of the four-year-old girl. We need more citizen engagement for a safe and healthy society for every girl child.
We hereby, call for more vigilance by citizens to identify these sorts of abnormalities and report same to the law enforcement agencies.
Signed:
Brenda Anugwom
CEO Nigerian Women Trust Fund
