Foundation advises against secret settlement of child molestation

By Okon Okon

The Abuja Moms Foundation (AMF), an Abuja-based non-profitable organisation, has advised law enforcement agencies against secrete settlement of child molestation cases, to deter perpetrators from such crime.

The Founder of the organisation, Mrs Happiness Ani, gave the advice on Saturday in Abuja, during a road-walk to create awareness against child molestation.

Ani, who was once a victim of the incident, attributed increase in molestation cases in Nigeria to wrong handling of such crimes by the relevant authorities and stakeholders.

She said that such include law enforcement agencies as well as parents` nonchalant attitudes to handling such cases.

“Often times, parents are made to keep quiet. Parents are cajoled into thinking it is okay to keep quiet when a child is molested.

“The walk is to create awareness against child molestation, to let mothers, fathers to speak up against child molestation and to fight against when a child is molested to make sure that the victims get justice.

“I was molested at age 10 by a man of over 40 years old, who molested me when I was in JSS 1, so I know how I felt.

“So in this walk, we are trying to make the world know that this crime still happens,“ she said.

Ani said took the sensitisation initiative upon herself including other women residing in Abuja, to put a stop to such evil in the society, adding that it might continue to be in increase owing to poor handling.

The AMF founder, therefore, advised the parents, members of the public and law enforcement agents in particular, to stop settling such cases secretly.

“The aim of the walk is just to sensitise people, especially people in the law enforcement agencies to allow parents speak against this.

“This is because most times we have cases where it is people in the force that will tell the mother to forget about it, and then saying we have settled it.

“We don’t want it settled that way. Please stop advising people to settle such issue secretly because when they settle, these perpetrators will move on to do the worst.

“Whether a child is molested by her parents or his parents let the law take full course,“ she advised.

Ani said through the awareness campaign by AMF, men and women who are perpetrators of such crime in the society would recognize that there was a platform which is against it.

Also, Mrs Adaeze Ochi, Director of Programmes AMF, explained that the importance of the road-walk could not be over-emphasised as it enlightened members of the public on the roles of AMF in curbing child molestation.

Mrs Chinyere Jackson, a mother and a participant, commended the programme by AMF, describing it as “A good initiative“, to create public awareness on its roles against prevalence of child molestation in Nigeria.

“Parents cannot keep their children with neighbours as we were made to see in those days, before you know it, one or two things must have happened to that child.

“Children generally are not saved in the society today, “ she said.(Nan)