By Grace Fadahson, Orjime Moses
The Child Protect Network (CPN), a nongovernmental organisation, has expressed concern over the case management of alleged child abuse at Kuje School of the Deaf and the demolition of an orphanage home in Kubwa by the committee inaugurated by the minister of Education into the matter.
The group’s national coordinator, Olorurunfemi Olusegun, Nwanze Anthony (national secretary) and Barr Linda Fadare made this known yesterday during a media conference in Abuja. They expressed dismay over the outcome of the committee’s investigation of sodomy, cannibalism, eating of human faces, sucking of human blood, existence of cult and substance abuse at the Kuje school, Abuja.
According to them, the method used by the committee in addressing the issues was not in the best interest of the children. The group noted that the situation should have been used positively to strengthen child safeguard policy in the educational sector, especially in boarding houses, adding that it was unacceptable that the principles of confidentiality, anonymity, and respect for the dignity of the victims, was not upheld. Olusegun said: “We believe this could have impacted on the decision of the victim to not make an appearance and further prevent other victims from reporting their concerns in the future. “It is regrettable that the committee closed the case without considering the psychosocial dimension including the emotional, mental and level of stigma this development would have inflicted on the victims and the family.” “We opine that the committee would have employed a better approach than blood sampling of the pupils given the secretive nature of cultism. It is imperative to set up an anti-cultism mechanism including an anonymous and confidential system if reporting and responding to tackle the menace in our schools,” they added.
culled from leadership newspaper
