One Mr Happiness Bassey, has been reportedly arrested in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, for physically torturing his 7-year-old daughter, Anthonia.
The young girl, said to have been physically abused by her father, has, however, been rescued by the Rapid Response Rescue Team on Sexual, Gender Based Violence and Child Abuse from the Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion.
Anthonia’s father, was arrested in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Friday, following a tip-off by members of the public.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni, who confirmed the incident, lamented the ordeal of the girl.
He described her experience as the inhuman treatment of an innocent child.
She said, “We received a report of the incident through a social media handle of someone living in that community on our Rapid Response Rescue Team media platform.
“Mr Happiness Bassey, the biological father of the girl, who lived at Number 20, Joseph Ayantoye Street, Inu koko, Ashi, Bodija, Ibadan, allegedly abused and inflicted injuries on his 7-years-old daughter who, as a result, has scars and bruises all over her body.
“It was also reported that the man, who works as a security guard with a firm, constantly tortured his child for reasons yet to be explained.
“We also learnt that the mother of the child, who is the wife, has travelled to their village in Akwa Ibom State to give birth to another child and left Anthonia with her father who subjected the girl to abuse and instructed the poor girl to always tell anyone who asked about the marks and bruises on her body that she fell, as a cover up story to his evil act.
“Immediately we got the report, we swung into action to rescue the child and arrest the abuser for further investigation at the Anti – Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, Oyo State Command.
“The girll has been taken to Oni and Sons Children Hospital at Ring Road, Ibadan for medical examination and treatment, while the ministry has made provision for alternative care and support for the child, and we are also on contact tracing of the wife to get details about the family.”
