Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Federal Government has constituted a 15-member committee to investigate the alleged cases of child abuse in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) School for deaf and Dumb, Kuje, Abuja.
The school was recently shut down by FCT administration, following public outcry over alleged child abuse and other related cases against some persons in the school.
Some parents recently raised the alarm that their children were being abused sexually. Others raised the issue of sodomy, murder, cannibalism, cultism, substance abuse, poor feeding and poor pastoral care. Worried by the public outcry, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, inaugurated the committee in Abuja, yesterday, to investigate the case, to ascertain the veracity of the claims.
The committee, chaired by the President of Albino Foundation, Jake Epelle, is to submit its report in two weeks. It was also charged to ascertain the authenticity of the allegations, determine the culprit and their level of involvement, including the punishment.
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono, said the committee is also expected to ascertain immediate and remote causes of the child abuse.
Additionally, they would assess the school environment in terms of security, facilities and other child protection mechanism and general welfare of staff and students, and make recommendations based on findings.