The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said no fewer than 150 cases of sexual and physical abuse were reported in the state in the last one year.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, disclosed this at the ongoing state’s ministerial news conference in Ikeja, Lagos.
Giving the statistics of activities of the ministry in the last one year, Akinbile-Yusuf said: “One hundred and fifty reported cases of sexual abuse and physical abuse were treated.
“Five pregnant school children were assisted to access adequate antenatal and delivery services.
“They were also integrated back to school.”
The commissioner said 85 suspected rapists and people who physically abused children had been taken to court.
She said that 31 babies – 19 female and 12 male – who were abandoned by their parents, were rescued in the last one year on the streets of Lagos.
She said: “The Child Protection Unit is responsible for the rescue and referral of all abandoned babies and lost but found children in the state to registered orphanages and homes.
“It also carries out child audit on the registered orphanages in order to conduct a case review of the children in the homes with a view to decongesting the homes and discouraging institutionalisation.”
According to Akinbile-Yussuf, a total of 57,350 school children benefitted from individual and group counselling sessions to curb truancy, gangsterism, abscondment and other social vices.
On adoption and fostering, the commissioner said over 1,000 applications were received in the last one year, out of which 110 had been screened for adoption.
She said 81 adoptions were legalised through the Family Courts, 70 of which were for local and 11 for international.
Akinbile-Yussuf also said 1,340 beggars/destitute/mentally challenged were rescued off the streets of Lagos in the last one year.
She said: “A total number of 590 rehabilitees were released and re-united with their relations for re-integration. One thousand, two hundred and twenty-eight rehabilitees are in residence at RTC Majidun, Ikorodu.”
According to Akinbile-Yusuf, the State Government provides medical and vocational facilities to help in turning the lives of the beggars and destitute around while in residence and aftercare services.
“147 rehabilitees are equally undergoing vocational training at the Rehabilitation and Training Centre, Majidun.”
The commissioner said 43 drug dependent rehabilitees, who probably lost hope, were restored back to their former position of functional ability.
She said another 20 were still undergoing rehabilitation and vocational training at the Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Centre, Isheri.
Akinbile-Yusuf also said 26 physically challenged persons were undergoing vocational training at the state Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disabilities at Owutu, Ikorodu.
NAN.
