Sokoto: Police rescue 12-yr-old girl from solitary confinement

The Nigeria Police, Sokoto State Command, has rescued a 12-year-old girl who was said to have been caged for eight months by her guardians, identified as Emmanuel Basey and his wife, Esther Emmanuel.

The girl, Joy, was also said to have been denied food throughout the period of her confinement at the Cinema area, in Sokoto-North local government area.

It was learnt that the guardians took the action because “she is mentally unstable” which was later proved to be false according to the Police.

The spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said the girl was rescued on Thursday, while the suspects were arrested and detained at the Dadin-Kowa Police station.

According to him, “They kept the girl in a cage at their compound and starved her of food for eight months.

“When our men broke the door of the cage, the girl was too frail to walk because she was emaciated. We met her in a very horrible situation, urinating and excreting inside the cage. The girl was taken to the Sokoto State Specialist’s Hospital for treatment”, he stated.

ASP Abubakar, however, disclosed that both the victim and the suspects would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person and other Related Matters, (NAPTIP), for further action.

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State government, through the ministry of Women and Children Affairs has intervened.

The State’s Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Kulu Sifawa, in the company of the State’s Police Commissioner, Kamaldeen Okunlola and NAPTIP officials visited the crime scene to get first-hand information.

Visiting the victim at the Specialists Hospitalw here she is being attended to, the commissioner said the State government is taking responsibility for treating the victim and ensure that she is properly recuperated.

The Commissioner called for proper investigation into the matter to assist in prosecuting the suspects in order to serve as a deterrent to others engaged in similar acts.

She added that there is no room for assaults and violation of any kind against any person in the State, while assuring that the Government is committed to fighting such an evil act.

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