CITY NEWS Cultism upsurge worries Mararaba residents Child Labour Day: WOTCLEF rescues 161 children in Abuja

Residents of Mararaba, a slum settlement near Abuja, are worried over rising cases of cultism among teenagers in the area.

City News learnt that different cult groups often clash, causing chaos in the community.

One of the residents, who would not like to be named, said the violent clashes often result in casualties that cause parents and guardians a lot of financial and emotional stress.

“Recently, I learnt that some suspected cultists, said to be between ages 13 and 18 years, wanted to initiate a teenage girl at Kabayi in Mararaba here and when she resisted, the whole thing went awry.

“She was attacked and wounded in her private part. I heard people said that the girl later died. The boys are terrible and you dare not talk about them. If you do, you risk your life,” the source said.

Another resident who also craved anonymity said, “We live in fear here, the boys and their girls in various uniforms operate freely both day and night and everybody is keeping quiet. They almost removed one boy’s eye and cut another’s hand in Kabayi recently, after a violent clash.”

The source further said one of the boys attacked his father some months ago and the man nearly died simply because he queried the son over his suspicious activities and suspected membership of one of the groups.

The source said almost everywhere in Mararaba the suspected cultists terrorize people, snatching handsets, money and other valuables from people.

“We don’t know how they get their information, whatever you say about them they know and will continue to hunt you until they attack you, it’s frightening,” one of the residents said.

When contacted, the Nasarawa State Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Idrisu Kennedy, who described cultism as “a disturbing phenomenon,” said most of the cases were not reported thereby allowing the social problem to thrive.

He said two cases were reported about two months ago and the suspects were taken to court and prosecuted, adding that in some cases there is nobody to testify and the suspects will be set free.

He urged parents to train their children properly and monitor their movement so that they will not engage in cult activities. The Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF), an NGO, says it has rescued 161 children involved in child labour in Abuja between January 2016 till date.

The Executive Director of WOTCLEF, Mr Abayomi Rotimi made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to commemorate World Day against Child Labour in Abuja.

NAN recalls that International Labour Organisation (ILO) inaugurated the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 and has since been observed to raise awareness of the plight of children involved in child labour, world-wide.

Rotimi explained that the children rescued by the organisation came from various parts of the country but they were engaged by their employers in Abuja.

He said that in May, 2017, a 12-year-old girl was rescued in Abuja Municipal area Council after she was beaten and battered seriously by her employer.

According to him, after the investigation by WOTCLEF, the girl was reunited with her family who were living in the eastern part of the country.

The director commended Federal and State Governments that had domesticated the Child Right Act.

He disclosed that though not less than 22 states had domesticated the act but regretted that many were yet to begin implementation of the law.

Rotimi tasked Civil Society Organisations to rise up to their responsibilities to ensure full implementation of the act nationwide.

He said that child labour was a menace that had prevented children from growing to assume their full responsibility in the society.

He pointed out that education of every child was key in tackling child labour for the bright future of the country. (NAN)