A man named Ogundele Kazeem in Ogun State has been arrested and detained at the Sango Ota Police Station for alleged domestic violence and child rights violations.
Kazeem is accused of causing permanent deformity to his 12-year-old son and evicting him and his 14-year-old brother from their home. The children, identified as Ogundele Rafiu, 14, and Ogundele Taoreed, 12, reportedly faced these abuses in the Onike area of Ogungbade, Ogun State.
A source familiar with the incident informed SaharaReporters on Monday that Kazeem, who is currently in detention, would be arraigned in court later that day for offenses including “domestic violence, child rights violations, and causing permanent deformity to a minor.” The source added that the children’s harsh treatment, including roaming the streets, stealing, and doing hard labor to survive, was reported to the police by the Aderemi Ogunlana Human Rights Foundation (ADOHF).
Chief Ogunlana Basirat, President of the Foundation, was contacted about the children’s condition by the So Safe Corps of Owode Ota. The source explained, “The man had been so cruel to his sons that he cut off the finger of the younger one, Taoreed, claiming the boy stole his N8,500. The older boy, Rafiu, was frequently subjected to severe torture and tied down with a rope.”
The children reported that their father explicitly told them he could no longer feed them, forcing them to take on laborious jobs like cutting grass and fetching water to find food. The source noted that the children had stopped attending school and were avoiding going home due to their father’s actions.
The Aderemi Ogunlana Human Rights Foundation reported the matter to the police at Sango Ota, and Kazeem is expected to face charges in court. Efforts to locate the children’s mother have been unsuccessful, but the source indicated that she would also face charges for abandonment, deeming her equally culpable.
“I asked the children if they committed the theft their father claimed, and they did not deny it. However, that does not justify cutting off a 10-year-old boy’s finger. The father admitted to sending them away and refusing to feed them. If he isn’t feeding them, how are they supposed to eat without resorting to stealing? This brutality towards the children has been ongoing, and it’s fortunate that he was caught this time,” the source told SaharaReporters.
Attempts by SaharaReporters to reach the Ogun State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, did not respond to calls.
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