By Joy Mbachi
Awka – The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Anambra chapter, has lauded the State Government’s prompt response in the rescue of an allegedly violated underaged girl in the state.
The Chairperson of the association, Mrs Franklyn Onyekachi, made the commendation in a statement issued in Awka and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
Onyekachi thanked the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Ify Obinabo, for quickly swinging into a rescue mission after an online video showed a 13-year-old girl with a newborn in a hospital in Alaocha Local Government Area.
She stated that the commissioner’s swift response portrayed her as being alive to her official responsibility and a mother.
“You have done well and Anambra NAWOJ is proud of you.
“We lend our voice to the call that the man, who impregnated this child, be brought to justice,” Onyekachi added.
Part of the statement read: “According to the child-mother, she was impregnated by one Mr Sunday (her guardian).
“It is disgusting and abominable that a grown man and father of many children would defile a young girl, put her in the family way and in the end abandon her.”
The association demanded that the man be arrested and prosecuted “to serve as deterrent to other beasts in human form, who molest and abuse children”.
The Spokesman of the state Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, told NAN that the suspect had been arrested.
Ikenga urged the public not to hesitate to report any social ill happening around their homes to the police .
He said that the command is at the service of the public and solicited the cooperation of all to enable it to effectively serve the people of the state.
“When you hear or see something, please report immediately to the nearest police station around you,” he added. (NAN)