Abimbola Abatta, Osogbo
A twenty-year-old girl has been rescued in Osun State after being locked up in an abandoned house by her parents for five years.
The girl who was identified as Opeyemi Olatoke was locked up in an abandoned family house located at Alfa Fire area, Oke-Iba, Obaagun road, Ikirun, Ifelodun Local Government, Osun State.
An NGO, Value Female Network alongside the State Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Affairs promptly responded to the call to rescue the girl.
The founder of Value Female Network NGO, Dr Mrs Aderibigbe Costly explained that “an anonymous source disclosed the information to our organisation that a man had locked up his physically challenged child in an abandoned family house for 5years in Ikirun, adding that the father of the child only feeds the girl once in a while.”
According to Dr Costly, “Based on the information we started our investigation, it was in the process of the investigation that we got the number of the elder brother of the girl that was locked up we were later able to locate the house.
“As an NGO located in the State of Osun we work closely with the ministry of Women, Children, and Social Affairs, let me use this medium to commend the Government of the state of Osun through the ministry of Women, Children and Social Affairs for prompt response which as led to the rescue of the girl.”
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs, Barr. Olubukola Olaboopo who was represented by the Senior Social Welfare Officer of the Ministry, Mr Segun Akande disclosed that the case of the wicked act was reported by the NGO, Value Female Network in the state and the ministry swiftly swung into action to rescue the victim.
The commissioner said, “As I speak now, the girl who is emaciated has been taken for medical attention which bills would be footed by the state government.”
She stressed that Oyetola-led government is determined to protect the vulnerable and the less privileged.
Barr. Olaboopo urged parents to take good care of their children, saying parents found maltreating their wards will be dealt with according to the Laws of the State.
The father of the girl, Prophet Samson Olatoke, founder of C& S, Ileri Ayo parish Ikirun, disclosed that they decided to lock her up due to her health issue.
The victim’s mother explained: “I did not give birth to Opeyemi with disability, it all started when she was 4years old, that day she shouted from her sleep and that was how she became lame.”
Meanwhile, Opeyemi’s father and brother have been arrested by the police.