How is the Law Protecting Child Abandonment? -By Oyelakin Saheed Oyekola

Recently, Freedom Radio, Kano broadcasted a gloomy story of a 10year-old boy, Sayyid whose able mother and father evicted to roam the street of kano with no remorse or fear for wrath of the law.

Sayyid was chased out by her mother’s new husband just two years after his parents divorced. The new husband claimed that he cannot have “agola” ( a derogatory term for a stepson) in his house. The only option left for the minor is to go to his father, the only family he has left.

Unfortunately, Sayyid was also sent away by his father’s new wife. He narrated that his father married a richer woman and settled in her house, and the wife said she would not accept “agola” in her house. In the end, Sayyid whose dream was to be a rich man and help people lamented how he joined the beggars to get what to eat and sleep wherever he finds himself.

The depressing story of Sayyid and thousands of other children abandoned all over Nigeria is a shame on our politicians, law makers, law enforcers and society at large. The lackadaisical and ineffective approaches of the government does nothing but encourage the rampancy of child abandonment.

Isn’t it satirical that child abandonment cases has become normal occurrences in Nigeria, a country with constituted punishment of not less than 3years imprisonment or #500,000 for offenders of such crime? Obviously, either the law is weak or these culprits have no respect for it.

To avoid the worse, it is inevitably important that the government takes the issue of child abandonment across Nigeria as a matter of paramount. They should condemn and exact heavy punishment on anyone found guity of child abandonment and other related crimes. This will serve as deterrence to whoever have thought of committing such crime.

Child abuse and the likes hinder development of a country in many ways, it is those children abandoned today that become vile tomorrow. Nigeria is not safe when tomorrow citizens, leaders and parents are abandoned or abuse. These children also want best of life and parents should not under any circumstance abandon or abuse their children.

Act of crime against children is more like terrorism and banditry, culprit should be treated as such. There is no excuse for child abandonment.

Oyelakin Saheed Oyekola, Bayero University, Kano