Following the assault of a house-help, Nkeruika, by her guardian, Ozoekwu Esther Onyinye, a soldier living at the Ikeja Cantonment, the Army authorities have said that adequate measures are being taken to curtail child abuse within its barracks.
The Army gave this assurance to the officials of the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender, who visited the cantonment over the assault on the house-help by the female soldier.
Our correspondent had learnt that Nkiruka suffered physical assault in the hands of her guardian at the Ikeja cantonment.
The development led to the intervention of the Lagos state OPD team which visited the Army barracks in Ikeja Lagos.
The Lagos State Coordinator of Child Protection Network, Ngozi Okoro, told our correspondent that the Army assured the OPD that it would treat the case of the maltreated girl accordingly.
Okoro said, “The OPD team, in respect of the matter, went to Ikeja Army Cantonment on the case to see the Commandant, Brigadier
General Alli. The Commandant was not on seat, but we were directed to see one Major AC Uba, who politely and cheerfully
attended to us.
“Major Uba, said that the Commandant was already aware of the matter and that he has given an instruction that the matter is given an utmost attention.”
“The military police and other sister department have been directed in that regard and that they have seen the perpetrator, Esther.”
When asked about the plight of the victim, Major Uba said that adequate attention had been given to the health and welfare of the
child, assuring that he would brief the commandant on the coming of the
OPD team.
He also showed the team the messages he received from the Commandant directing all Magajiyas (in charge of the halls) that there would be a meeting on the 23rd of August, 2018, to further discuss the matter and ensured that justice was
done.
“We will not relent until we make Lagos State a child-abuse free zone,” the OPD
team said.
