PCC's Intervention Aid Rescue of 16 Children from Abusive Orphanage in Abuja
The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) Federal Capital Territory's intervention in an inhumane case of child abuse at St. Theresa Orphanage and Widows Home, Lokogoma Abuja.has led to the rescue of sixteen malnourished children.
Acting on intelligence from a concerned Nigerian who raised concerns about brutality, molestation and maltreatment of children at the Orphanage, the PCC Investigation Team stormed the location in the Lokogoma District of Abuja unannounced and discovered the children in troubling conditions.
Contrary to its mandate of care and protection, the home was found to be operating more like a detention cell than a shelter and place of refuge as the children were not only left in the care of a 15 years old boy but kept in a small dingy cell as punishment and made to sleep on bare floors.
Upon confirming the allegations, the Honourable Commissioner for PCC FCT, Hon. Musa Dikko, while appreciating the criminal nature of the matter immediately directed that the police be brought into the matter in exercise of the Commission's reporting and whistleblower roles.
On the involvement of the Nigerian Police, the PCC Investigation Team worked closely with the Divisional Police Officers of both Apo Resettlement and Lokogoma as the joint effort of both agencies led to the successful raid of the facility and the safe evacuation of all the children.
During the operation, the joint team of PCC and Police Officers also discovered that large quantities of food items and supplies meant for the children had been locked away in a room while the children ravaged by hunger and various ailments were neglected and abandoned. As at 11 am where the team arrived at the Orphanage, the children were yet to be served breakfast
Items such as a 32-inch Samsung Television,
10 bags of 50 kg rice,
Four bags of 25 kg of rice,
2 cartons of each of Nutri Milk,
Dettol and bathing soaps,
Notebooks and Bibles,
Toiletries
Vegetable oil and household equipment ostensibly donated by good spirited individuals for the feeding and comfort of the children in the Orphanage were recovered by the Joint Team.
Commenting on the incident Commissioner Dikko commended the team of the PCC Officers and Nigerian Police personnel involved in the operation, saying that recent capacity-building training for PCC staff and the inter agency collaboration between the Commission and the Police are instrumental to the success of the investigation .
He stressed that the Commission will pursue the matter until justice is served and requested a comprehensive report from the PCC Investigation Team leader, Mrs Rita Joseph Anyanwu.
The FCT Command of the Nigerian Police Force represented by its Spokesperson, Josephine Adeh.a Superintendent of Police, while receiving the rescued children promised that a thorough investigation into the issue will be done and that justice will be served.
The owner of the orphanage was absent at the time of the raid, and is currently at large leaving its operations in the hands of her 15-years-old son.
The sixteen rescued children, whose ages range from three to fourteen years, are now in safe custody of the police pending proper rehabilitation and care.
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