There appears to be a big blow to the Child Right Act as minor defilement takes frightened dimension across the country
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
A teenage girl has narrated her horrific ordeal in the hands of her guardian, who allegedly subjected her to repeated sexual abuse after bringing her from Abia State to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, under the guise of care for his elderly mother. The 14 years old victim, whose identity is being protected, disclosed that the abuse began when she was just 12 years old.
She alleged that her guardian, Daniel Isaac, 26 would force her to swallow a white substance after each incident of defilement. Isaac, a native of Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State but resident in Oyigbo, Port Harcourt, was recently apprehended by operatives of Rivers State Police Command following credible intelligence about his criminal activities.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the arrest, explained that the case was reported to the Hawk Tactical Team after the suspect’s actions were exposed. According to the PPRO, investigations revealed that Isaac brought the minor from his village supposedly to assist with caring for his aged mother but instead turned her into an object of sexual gratification.
Tentacle gathered that the suspect’s actions came to light through the vigilance of a neighbor, joy, an Imo State indigene residing in the same compound with Isaac in Port Harcourt. Joy recounted how her second daughter informed her in December last year that the girl living with Isaac had confided in her about being sexually abused. Initially, assumed that the victim was Isaac’s daughter, Joy said she was troubled by the revelation but lacked concrete evidence to act.
Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard crying sounds emanating from Isaac’s room. After confronting him directly through her daughter, Joy strategically arranged to speak with the victim privately. “When the man left the house the following morning, we called the girl and she opened up about everything. The moment he returned, residents confronted him and alerted the police”. Joy narrated.
In her statement to the law enforcement officers, the victim detailed how Isaac routinely administered a white substance to her before sexually assaulting her. She further alleged that he employed intimidation tactics, threatening her with a knife and charms to ensure her silence. The traumatized teenager’s testimony formed the basis of the police investigation into the matter.
During interrogation, Isaac confessed to the allegations, admitting to having carnal knowledge of the minor on six occasions. When questioned about his awareness of the victim’s age, the suspect acknowledged that she was under age. However, he dismissed his action as “a mistake”.
Expressing remorse, the suspect advised other men against engaging in unlawful sexual conduct. Speaking on the development, CSP Iringe-Koko, urged parents and guardians to exercise greater caution when entrusting their children, particularly minors to the care of others. “Parents must be vigilant and conduct proper background checks before releasing their children to live with relatives or acquaintances. This unfortunate incident underscored the dangers that lurk when such decisions are made hastily”. The police spokesperson slated.
In a related development, the Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children (RVAWC), has hailed the remand of a 29 years old female class teacher, Deborah Adaze Oko over the alleged defilement of a 4 years old pupil at Sapphire G International School, Rumuepirikom, Port Harcourt by a Port Harcourt Magistrate Court. The Team which frowned at the rising number of reported cases of school violence including
sexual exploitation and abuse in schools urged parents to always be vigilant and ensure regular communication and check on their children.
Tombari Dumka-Kote, Coordinator, Rivers State Response Team on Violence against Women and Children lamented that school administrators and managers seem not to have learnt any lesson from previous incidents, said it exposes the fact that such schools are unsafe spaces for children should be shutdown.
According to him, other cases of how a school minder, and elderly pupil of 9 had fingered and defiled pupils at ages 2 and 4, at Bethlehemite Covenant Child International Montessori School, Agip Estate, Port Harcourt respectively, were still pending with the police and called on the Rivers State Police Commissioner to order the transfer of the case files to his office for proper investigation and prosecution of the suspects involved.
Dumka-Kote also regretted that negligent private schools owners and managers rather than seeking means to addressing challenges face by traumatized children survivors of violence in their schools, have taken to cheap blackmail and intimidation of the parents/guardians which will not be condoled and remain unacceptable.
“Some schools have become torture centres for children. What we are saying is that people who lack character and are not friendly with child protection protocols must not be allowed to own or run schools in Rivers State. The Responsibility is also on parents to ensure they do their fact checks to be sure their children and wards are not handed to abuses, molesters and traffickers in the name of school enrollment”.
He warned school owners in whose school children are facing abuse, hinting that the Team will leave no stone untouched in ensuring that justice is upheld in the matter. Still on the rising defilement of minors, a 45-year-old man simply identified as Pascal has allegedly defiled male and female minors in Rivers State. Tentacle gathered that the victims (names withheld) were 10-years-old boy and an 11 year-old girl. The source further said that the suspect had committed the act severally at Christ Apostolic Street, Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt.
Mr. Prince Wiro, the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign (CBRPAC) said the alleged defilement was reported by the parents of both children, Mrs. Ada, mother of the 10 years old boy and Mr. Alex, father of the 11 years old girl.
He said, “According to the father of the girl child, the suspect who is his friend and former neighbor at Christ Apostolic Street Mile 3 Diobu has been defiling the female child since she was 10 years old”.
The father of the female child disclosed that unknown to him, the suspect comes to his house when he has gone to work to defile the girl and also takes her to his (suspect) house at Pipeline axis Egbelu to defile her also.
The mother of the boy child aged 10 who was former neighbor to the suspect also said that she became aware of the incident after his son started complaining of pains in his private part and upon further question to her son, the son told her, who Pascal has been defiling him in the past six months.
Similarly, in neighbouring Bayelsa State, angry residents of Obunagha Community in Yenagoa, the state capital have apprehended a 40 years old man for allegedly defiling and sodomizing his 12 years old step-daughter.
According to investigations, the suspect, a bricklayer by profession was caught in the act by his wife, who raised the alarm, prompting the community youths to apprehend and hand him over to the police.
A witness account disclosed that the victim was in severe pain and bleeding from anus and had to be rushed to the Niger Delta University Hospital Okolobiri. A former Youth President of Abarain Youths Federation, which Obunghan Community falls under while confirming the incident described the action of the suspect as disgraceful and wicked. He implored divorced mother going into a new marriage to be vigilant and protect their children from male predators.
Also weighing in on the matter, the founder of Do Foundation, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry said the incident and two others recorded between December, 2025 and January 2026, have become worrisome for gender-based organizations. “Between January and now, we have recorded three cases of sexual abuse of our children and the perpetrators are step-fathers to these innocent younger girls. Also between October and December last year, we had two cases of adults abusing girls between ages of 7 and 12”. “These incidents call for urgent collaborative intervention by all key actors in the fight against gender based violence”, said Dise Harry.
Meanwhile, some lawyers have expressed concerns over the steady rise in cases of defilement of minors. They cited deep-rooted reasons such as fear, silence and weak system of law enforcement. According to them, although, the provision of Child Right Act and other enabling laws spelled out sanctions for offenders but these are often not carried out.
In her contribution, Mrs. Anne Agi, a member of the International Federation of Woman Lawyers (FIDA) said that no matter how severe punitive laws were, they operated largely as reactive tools. She noted that defilement thrived in environments were prevention mechanisms were weak, adding that many offenders acted on the assumption that they would not be reported or prosecuted.
Also speaking, Adaobi Fortune, a gender advocate and member of the African Woman Lawyers Association (AWLA) noted that occasional compromise by law enforcement officers, were also responsible for eroding public confidence and emboldening perpetrators.
“Families sometimes choose silence over justice due to shame, fear or social blacklash, pressure to settle privately for economic dependence on the offender”. She stated.
According to the lawyers, most time when one reports their cases, police officers mock the victims, blame them or tell them to go home and settle. “When justice is slow, uncertain and biased potential offenders are less deterred and victims are less encouraged to speak”, said Adaobi Fortune.
Child Protection Advocates have condemned the act, highlighting the rising cases of sexual abuses of minors. They urged authorities to strengthen preventive measures and ensure that perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. These incidents underscore the urgent need for effective enforcement of Child Right Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act to safeguard vulnerable children in Nigeria.
