Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Akwa Ibom State Command, have rescued a 12-year-old girl named Bright Sunday, who had been allegedly imprisoned in a dilapidated building by her father.
NSCDC State Commandant Mr. Eluyemi Eluwade shared this information during a press briefing in Uyo, the state capital, on Saturday.
Mr. Eluwade explained that the girl was confined by her father, Ndifreke Sunday, in collaboration with her stepmother, Mrs. Victory Sunday, 28, both from Ikot Ukporo Idoro Village in Ibiono Ibom local government area.
The rescue operation and subsequent arrest of the suspects were prompted by a complaint from the State Ministry of Justice regarding the torture of the victim.
Eluwade further stated that the accused were detained for child deprivation and abuse in accordance with Section 10 of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law 2020.
“The arrest was made on Tuesday, September 10, at Ikot Ukporo Idoro Village in Akwa Ibom State’s Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, following a complaint from the Ministry of Justice that the suspect was subjecting his daughter to inhumane treatment.
“The suspects admitted to locking up the child because she confessed to being a witch and responsible for his afflictions,” Eluwade said.
The commandant emphasized that the victim would be transferred to a Gender-Based Violence Shelter Home for care and rehabilitation. He condemned the inhumane treatment of the young girl, calling it barbaric, callous, and heinous.
He cautioned parents against such actions, warning that the government agency would persist in pursuing offenders.
The commandant stated that the suspects would be referred to the appropriate prosecuting agency for legal action.
In an interview with newsmen, the victim shared her ordeal, revealing that she had been locked in a dilapidated room, deprived of food and bathing, and subjected to frequent beatings by her stepmother. She also reported being fed only once every two days, permitted to bathe only twice a month, and denied education.