In Plateau State records 37 rape cases in 1 month

A damning verdict has been passed on the rape situation in Plateau State where it has been discovered that in the last one month 37 cases has been reported.

Plateau State is currently one of the states in Nigeria where rape and sexual violence has been on the increase as 37 of such cases were recorded in the past one month, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

This assertion was made by Fidelia Set’le, the Assistant Director, Child Welfare, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the state, during the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) annual review meeting organised by the Bauchi Field Office of the body in Jos.

Set'le added that seven cases of separated and unaccompanied children were reported with five of them reunited with their families and two still pending.

According to her, residents have been encouraged with the launch of the Violence Against Children (VAC) campaign in the state in September.

“As a result of the VAC campaign launched in September, we have been recording more people coming to report cases of rape in the state; this means people have become more aware.

In the last one month, 37 rape cases were reported to us, and all of these cases are either pending or with the Police. Also, seven separated and unaccompanied cases were reported to us; we were able to reunite five with their families but two cases are still pending." Set’le noted that numerous cases of violence against children in the state were still unreported, expressing optimism that incidence of violence against children would be nipped in the bud in the state soon.