What? See the Staggering Figures of Sexual Abuse and Teenage Pregnancies Treated in Lagos in 2014

“No fewer than 62 abandoned babies and 940 beggars were rescued from the streets of Lagos in 2014.

Also, 6, 628 sexual abuse, abscondment and teenage pregnancy cases were treated in Lagos State in the year under review.

Permanent Secretary of Office of Youth and Social development, Mr. Adesegun Oshinyimika who disclosed this yesterday at the 2015 ministerial press briefing held in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, added that the state government will not resist from ridding the state of destitute.

Oshinyimika explained: “A total number of 62 babies out of which 34 were females and 28 males, were rescued during the period under review.”

He noted that 85 babies were released for adoption, adding that “76 adoptions were legalized through the Family Courts; 51 were Local, 18 International and 4 were for Relative International Adoption. One Fostering Order was extended at the Family Court.”

His words: “In the last one year, 940 beggars/destitute/mentally challenged were rescued from the streets of Lagos. 1,486 were taken to the Rehabilitation and Training Centre, Majidun, Ikorodu, where the State Government has made provisions for facilities to help in turning the lives of the destitute/beggars around, while the mentally unstable are given medical attention,” he added.

On sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, abscond cases

According to due permanent secretary, “some of the aforementioned cases were referred to family courts and the affected pupils were placed on supervision to enable them settle down well both at home and at school.”

Oshinyimika stated that the affected persons were also counselled under the School Social Service Unit of the ministry, adding that “about 1,754 public school students were counselled on truancy and 2,399 on anti-social activities.

According to him, “The objectives of the unit include stemming the wave of crimes now prevalent among our school population identifying and reducing the incident of truancy, petty stealing, cigarettes and hemp smoking among school children, and working towards reducing school dropouts by taking prompt action on matters relating to problems of students.”