ActionAid Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has called on the Federal Government to do more than “just investigate” the death of 26 suspected Nigerian migrants whose bodies were discovered on the Mediterranean on Sunday.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Interim Country Director, Funmilayo Oyefusi urged the government to implement the Child Rights Act to ensure the protection of the Nigerian child.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Nigeria’s mission in Rome confirmed that the 26 migrants were all females between the ages of 14 and 18.
Their bodies were recovered from the Mediterranean by a Spanish Warship, Cantabria.
Oyefusi said that the implementation of the Child Rights Act at all levels of government would mitigate cases of child abuse in the country and ensure perpetrators were brought to book.
He Said: “We will like to draw attention to the growing menace of child abuse and inadequate protection for children, especially girls.
“When parents and the government fail to protect children or create a conducive environment for the girl child to thrive, she becomes vulnerable to all sorts of social ills, and the result is one that we have just witnessed.”
The ActionAid representative further noted that the implementation of the Act would also ensure that parents and guardians do not engage their children in activities that violate the law.
Oyefusi said: “ActionAid Nigeria therefore calls on the Federal Government to do more than just call for investigation of the incident but start to address issues that affect and influence young people and children.
“We need to educate both children and parents on the provisions of CRA and take bold steps in addressing the long list of challenges the girl child faces.”
She further called on the government to invest in children to promote sustainable development in the country.
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