Edo Govt Raises Alarm Over Fathers’ Rising Defilement of Female Children

The Edo State Government has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of sexual abuse of female children, saying fathers allegedly account for more than half of the 72 cases of child defilement recorded in the state between January and July 2026.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Eugenia Abdallah, disclosed this on Thursday in Benin City during a press briefing organised by the state Ministry of Information and Strategy.

Abdallah said the victims in the reported cases were children between two and 10 years old, while several of the cases had already been prosecuted in court.

“We have recorded 72 cases of abuse of minors between January and July this year. We have prosecuted several of these cases in court,” she said.

The commissioner expressed particular concern over the alleged involvement of fathers, saying more than 50 per cent of the reported cases involved the sexual abuse of children by their biological fathers.

She disclosed that one of the victims currently under the care of the ministry was a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly impregnated by her father and is now eight months pregnant.

According to Abdallah, the case was reported to the ministry by a neighbour after the girl’s father allegedly fled the house.

She said the girl had pleaded with authorities not to arrest her father because she loved him, highlighting the emotional and psychological complications often associated with sexual abuse within families.

Abdallah assured that the state government would not only identify vulnerable children but would also provide protection and support for victims while ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice.

As part of efforts to strengthen the state’s response to sexual and gender-based violence, the commissioner said the ministry had established a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Uromi in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration and other development partners.

She said the centre had expanded access to coordinated, survivor-centred services outside Benin City, including psychosocial support, referrals and other assistance for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

The ministry, she added, was also working towards establishing another SARC in Auchi to improve the spread of specialised services across the state.

Giving further details of cases handled by the ministry, Abdallah said it had supported the referral of a case involving two sisters who allegedly suffered prolonged sexual abuse to the relevant investigative and prosecuting authorities.

She also disclosed that the ministry intervened in August in the case of an 11-year-old girl who was allegedly subjected to severe abuse.

The child, she said, was placed under protective care and provided with medical and psychosocial support, while law enforcement authorities pursued investigation and prosecution of the suspects.

The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of child abuse promptly to the appropriate authorities, stressing that early intervention was critical to protecting vulnerable children.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, expressed concern over what he described as the growing prevalence of social vices in the state.

Afegbua disclosed that a six-year-old girl was allegedly defiled and molested before being rescued by the state government.

He called for stiffer penalties against perpetrators of child sexual abuse, saying stronger sanctions were necessary to deter people from preying on children.

The government said its intervention efforts would continue to focus on protecting children, supporting survivors and strengthening collaboration among relevant agencies to ensure that perpetrators of abuse face the law.