We watched with profound anguish and deep indignation the disturbing reports and video currently circulating concerning the alleged sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a woman in connection with the alleged abuse and has also reported the rescue of four children while investigations continue.
As the watchdog of the nation, the media has the responsibility to speak out not only as a defender of human rights but as a voice for the voiceless and the vulnerable including young children who are often too frightened to speak for themselves.
It must be made clear and without ambiguity that sexual abuse is a crime, child sexual exploitation is a crime. Same thing for child pornography.
And when the alleged perpetrator is a parent, guardian, caregiver or any adult entrusted with the protection of a child, the gravity of the alleged conduct becomes even more disturbing because the very person who should constitute the child’s safest refuge has become the source of danger.
A child is not an instrument for financial gain. A child’s body is not a commodity. A child’s innocence is not content. Neither is a child’s vulnerability an opportunity for exploitation.
May we also add that no economic hardship, marital circumstance, emotional distress, cultural practice, religious belief or personal justification can excuse the sexual exploitation of a child.
Whether such exploitation takes place physically, through photographs, videos, livestreams, messaging platforms or any other digital medium, the principle remains the same: You are exploiting a child.
And if money is being made from such exploitation, then the child is being treated as a commodity for profit. Those who create, procure, facilitate, record, distribute, transmit, sell, purchase or knowingly participate in sexual material involving children must understand that the digital world is not a lawless world. The internet is not a sanctuary for criminals.
Those who hide behind anonymous accounts, foreign contacts, digital wallets, encrypted platforms or international networks should not mistake technology for immunity.
We therefore, call upon the relevant law-enforcement and prosecutorial authorities to conduct a thorough, professional and child-centred investigation into this matter.
Where sufficient evidence establishes criminal responsibility, every person found to have participated in the abuse or exploitation should be prosecuted under every applicable law.
And upon conviction, there should be the maximum punishment permitted by Nigerian law for each proven offence. There must be no selective justice. And there must be no quiet settlement. There must be no intimidation of witnesses. There must be no attempt to bury the matter because the alleged perpetrator is a parent, relative, influential person or member of a particular community. A child’s rights do not become negotiable because the alleged offender is an adult. This incident must serve as a moment of sober reflection to everyone. Parenthood is not ownership. Guardianship is not ownership. And being a caregiver does not give anyone the right to violate the body, dignity or innocence of a child. Children are entrusted to us; they are not possessed by us. Every parent and caregiver must understand that discipline must never become torture, sexual abuse, mutilation, exploitation or humiliation. We must also become more vigilant about what happens to children online.
Parents must pay attention to sudden behavioural changes, unexplained fear, secrecy, injuries, inappropriate sexual knowledge or unusual interactions with adults. And when something is wrong, do not silence the child. Listen. Believe appropriately. Protect. Report. Seek professional help.
Lastly, Children are not content and must not be used as one. They are not instruments of profit. Children are not powerless. And those who abuse, exploit, traffic or sexually commodify children must understand that Nigeria must—and will—treat the protection of children as a matter of the highest national priority.
Let every home become a place of safety. And let every school become a place of protection. Let every community become a watchtower for the vulnerable. Let every digital platform become a space of responsibility. And let every adult remember that when a child cannot protect himself or herself, society must become that protection.