The Nigerian Bar Association Gombe Branch, has condemned the amputation of a 12-year-old boy, Adamu, allegedly for stealing a phone in Akko Local Government Area.
According to The PUNCH, the Vice Chairperson of the NBA Gombe Branch and Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee Mwalin Abdu lamented the spate of child abuse in the state, citing the 2018 case of Zubair Abubakar, a 13-year-old whose arms were amputated by his teacher.
Abdu emphasized that these cases are just the tip of the iceberg, with many more reported and unreported cases of child abuse, including sexual abuse, child labor, and child trafficking.
Abdu urged stakeholders to take concerted action to combat child abuse, stressing that the implementation of the child protection law is crucial to tackling the issue.
She said, “In 2018, we woke up to the story of young Zubair Abubakar (13 years old), whose arms were amputated because of the abuse by his teacher, just four days ago was another devastating story of 12-year-old Adamu from Tumu District in Akko LG of same Gombe State who also lost his arms due to similar incident with Zubair Abubakar, over alleged theft of phone.
“Even though the office of the Attorney General has taken over the prosecution of the cases, we believe that is not enough, because these two stories are just a tip of the iceberg of the numerous daily reported and unreported complaints or cases of child abuse in the state, ranging from sexual abuse, child labour, child molestation, child trafficking and so on.”
“Even though the office of the Attorney General has taken over the prosecution of the cases, we believe that is not enough, because these two stories are just a tip of the iceberg of the numerous daily reported and unreported complaints or cases of child abuse in the state, ranging from sexual abuse, child labour, child molestation, child trafficking and so on.”
She called for robust reporting mechanisms, specialized victim support services, and widespread awareness campaigns to address the rampant abuse and exploitation of children in the state.
She said, “The time for passive observance has passed, the safeguarding of every child’s well-being demands immediate and resolute action. Gombe State must move swiftly to implement and enforce the child protection law, ensuring that those who exploit and harm our children face the full force of justice.
“Robust reporting mechanisms, specialised victim support services, and widespread awareness campaigns are imperative to redress the rampant abuse, exploitation, and trafficking that plague our dear state,” she added.