GORY IMAGE OF CHILD RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN NIGERIA

In 2003, Nigeria adopted the United Nations Child Rights Act to domesticate the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Although this law was passed at the Federal level, it could only be effective if State Assemblies also enact it. To date, only about 24 of the country’s 36 States have passed the Act.

This explains that this landmark legislative achievement has not yet translated into improved legal protection throughout the Federation. Nigeria has been unable to deal with several issues hindering the protection rights of children such as those living on the streets, affected by communal conflicts, drug abuse, human trafficking and the weaknesses of the juvenile justice system amongst others.

The first global in-depth study of violence against children was commissioned by the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon as directed by the general assembly resolution 57/90 of 2002. The study provided information pointing to the various types of violence occasioned against children from the schools, alternative care institutions, detention facilities, places where children work and communities.

The World Health Organisation, (WHO) in 2002 estimated that 150 million girls and 73 million boys under the age of 18 years are sexually abused. About 100 to 140 million girls and women in the world underwent some form of female genital mutilation or the other. In 2001, the International Labour Organization, (ILO) report indicated that globally 218 million children were involved in various forms of child labour, 126 million of these children were involved in dangerous work. Also, 1.8 million children worked in prostitution and pornography just as 1.2 million children were victims of trafficking.

In a survey carried out in 2015 by the National population Commission tagged, ‘Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey’, which provided the first nationally representative data on the prevalence of sexual, physical and emotional violence among female and male children shows that, one in two children experience physical violence, one in four girls and one in ten boys experience sexual violence and one in six girls and one in five boys experience emotional violence.

The findings of the survey also disclosed that, “the majority of the children never tell anyone about their experience and less than 5% of children who experience violence ever receive the support they needed to recover.

“Childhood violence has a long term impact that lasts well into adulthood, including mental and physical health outcomes; individuals who experienced physical and sexual violence in childhood were also significantly more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence”, it maintained.

The survey indicated that violence is not limited to the poor and marginalized group of children but rather an issue that transcends social and economic status, neither is it targeted at the rural people, uneducated nor out of school children. It is rather a problem that affects all corners of the society.

Violence against children involves gang activity, locker thefts, bullying and intimidation, gun use, (especially in the underdeveloped world and higher institutions) assault in the form of sexual and verbal molestation. Teachers and other staff also share in the experience of violence in schools. Other types of violence commonly reported in schools against children are torture, kidnapping, sexual harassment, rape, corporal punishment among others.

The National Council of Child’s Rights Advocates of Nigeria (NACCRAN) Abuja chapter in conjunction with Save the Children Nigeria recently organized an event during which, NACCRAN President, Mrs. Margaret Udoh emphasized that, in the recent past, children have become exposed to many forms of violence.

NACCRAN is a national council of over 60 NGOs working in the area of children’s rights in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The main objective of NACCRAN is that of providing advocacy to the various stakeholders of children in Nigeria on the rights of the child. Member organizations are referred as “Advocates of children’s rights”.

The Nigerian violence against children survey also posits that millions of children suffer violence every year. It is estimated that 6 out of every 10 children under the age of 18 experience some form of physical, emotional and sexual violence. Survey link violence against children in Nigeria to poorer mental and physical health outcomes for boys and girls in childhood into adulthood.

That is a gross violation of the one of the major six commitments of the National Priority Agenda (NPA) for vulnerable children 2013-2020 which states inter alia that “all children are safe from abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect”.

According to the organisers, “that commitment if fulfilled by the government will contribute immensely to the attainment of an ideal society for the children where reduction of actions and activities that tend to expose them to danger will be brought to the barest minimum. With the elimination of vulnerabilities, it will directly impact on Nigeria’s economic and social wellbeing as well as development, however, government commitment to the pledge remains to be seen as almost on weekly basis, child rights are reported in one form or the other”.

The consequences of violence against children include brain injuries, bruises, fractures, poor inter personal relationship and communication, learning problems emotional/psychological problems like anxiety, depression, aggression or attempted suicide, use of drugs, sexual indulgence and health problems such as HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.

It was stressed that most of the impacts can result in early death while those who survive live with physical and emotional scars. In the west and central African countries, children are trafficked every year just as sexual violence and rape are appearing to be on the rise. This is ignited by armed conflicts, extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS.

With particular reference to Nigeria, it was made public that most of the abuses take place behind closed doors where perpetrators are mostly trusted family members and friends. This make most of the cases go unreported or at most under reported due to shame and fear of stigmatization. Recall could also be made of a recent statement by the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria representative, Ayalew Abai who maintained that thousands of children living on the streets of Lagos and other cities are neglected by their parents or abandoned in some instances which make them exposed to so many hazards and threats.

But all hope, according to stakeholders, is not lost. Anne Kpason, the Head of Child Protection, Save the Children Nigeria said, “Save the Children International is working to ensure a future where every Nigerian child survives, learns and is protected from harm by the year 2030”.

In addition to the commitment, the Nigerian government on her own has taken radical steps by establishing the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) which is charged with the responsibility of coordinating mechanisms for rescuing, rehabilitating and reintegrating child victims of trafficking and prosecution f perpetrators.

Also, large-scale research in 2000 by the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN), revealed that physical assault was one of the most common complaints by juvenile offenders, and corporal punishment was found to be frequently used in custody.

Equally, UNICEF in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), supported a juvenile justice project which promotes improved treatment and legal aid for juveniles.

In her estimation, Mrs. Udoh believed that, the situation would be brought to an abrupt halt if every adult and the children themselves remember that children are the future hence the way minors are treated mirrors the future. She further enumerated ways to curb violence against children in Nigeria which is for the government to implement policies that will assist in the holistic development of children. Other possible areas of intervention according to her explanation is for schools to inculcate into their scheme a guarantee that every treatment melted out on children is for their best interest insisting that teachings and actions must be human rights based consequent upon which inclusiveness will be enhanced.

In another twist, as the girl-child is the worse hit of most of the atrocities against this category of people, Mrs. Udoh who is also the founder of Youth Reformation and Awareness Centre (YRAC) used the occasion to make passionate appeal for parents, guardians and the government to help protect and promote the rights of women and girl-children.

In order to ensure sustainability, she enjoined concerned authorities to among other things ensure that, effective implementation of the National Health Act, Universal Basic Education Act, passage of the Child Rights Law in the remaining 12 states, develop a robust response plan to all violence against children, public enlightenment campaigns as well of use of gate-keepers like traditional and community leaders to be sensitized on the consequences of violence against children in their communities, is pursued with vigour.