An Anambra woman has been apprehended for involvement in child labour
The Anambra State Government has taken action by apprehending Eneh Ogechukwu, a 27-year-old woman from Udi community in Enugu State. Ogechukwu was arrested for persistently using a 10-year-old girl from Benue State to beg for alms, despite previous warnings to cease such activities.
The arrest took place in the Oyeolisa Ogbunike area of Anambra State, where Ogechukwu was engaged in alms begging and other related offenses. The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, personally arrested the culprit on Friday and subsequently handed her over to the police for further legal action.
Expressing her disappointment with the situation, Commissioner Obinabo stressed that she had repeatedly cautioned individuals engaged in such exploitative activities to stop immediately. She vowed not to allow anyone caught in such acts to evade punishment and affirmed that appropriate charges would be filed against Ogechukwu in court.
She emphasized, "In Anambra State, we will not tolerate the prevalence of criminals, particularly those exploiting children for begging. Our relentless efforts will persist, apprehending as many offenders as necessary to restore order and ensure the well-being of our state."
During the interrogation, the perpetrator claimed that her intention was solely to assist the 10-year-old girl and her family in seeking public support to fund the child's medical treatment. She explained to the commissioner that the girl was suffering from a tumor disease, which caused her abdomen to become swollen. As a result, she resorted to using the girl to beg for alms in order to cover the expenses required for the necessary surgery.
She revealed that she began involving children in begging activities in December 2022 and managed to collect a total of N100,000. However, their doctor has stated that the required amount for the tumor surgery is N400,000.
Following the interrogation, the offender was handed over to the Ogidi Police Division. The case has been subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka, and she will soon be brought before the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Magistrate court in Awka for arraignment.
Subsequently, the commissioner personally accompanied the 10-year-old to the hospital for a medical examination and potential treatment.
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