Group raises concern over children abduction

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

An international organisation for the care and support of vulnerable children, SOS Children’s Villages has raised concern over the increasing abduction of children and digital violence against girls in recent times.

The organisation in a statement by its Nigeria National Director, Eghosa Erhumwunse, yesterday , to mark this year 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV), expressed worry about growing insecurity and abduction of girls in parts of the country.

“For over a decade, Nigeria has seen a troubling increase in school and community abductions. More than 1,680 children have been forcibly taken, and recent incidents bring that number close to 2,500,” Erhumwunse stated.

He said SOS Children’s Villagers Nigeria views each abduction not only as a crime, but failure of the society child protection systems. “It reminds us that the nation’s youngest and most vulnerable children are increasingly at risk,” he added.

He noted that physical violence is just a part of the escalating crisis against vulnerable children as thousands of girls, children now face digital violence on various social media platforms.

“Nigeria is now facing another major issue: digital violence. Recent research reveals that 68.9 million Nigerians, nearly half of the country’s active internet users, suffer online harm, including cyberbullying, impersonation, exploitation, and abuse,” he disclosed.

He said 58 percent of these harms mainly target women and girls, bringing Nigeria’s ranking as the fifth-highest cybercrime hotspot worldwide.

He urged the Federal and State governments to declare the protection of women and vulnerable children as national security priority.

The 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence is a global actions, which runs from November 25 to December 5, to raise support for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and children.