LAGOS RECORDS 1,437 CHILD PROTECTION CASES, CONDUCTS OVER 5,700 INTERVENTIONS – STATE GOVT
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Agency Report
The Lagos State Government says it has intensified efforts to combat child abuse, trafficking, neglect, and abandonment, recording 1,437 child protection cases and carrying out over 5,708 interventions across the state within the review period.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, disclosed this in Alausa, Ikeja, during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing marking the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term.
Ogunlende said the interventions reflect the government’s commitment to strengthening child protection systems and safeguarding vulnerable children from abuse, exploitation, violence, and neglect.
According to him, the Child Protection Unit handled 1,437 reported cases involving abuse, trafficking, abandonment, neglect, and other welfare concerns across Lagos State during the period under review.
He added that more than 5,708 child protection services were rendered, including rescue operations, investigations, legal interventions, counselling, rehabilitation, placement services, and psychosocial support for affected children and families.
“A total of 520 cases were successfully concluded through various disposition pathways, reflecting the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring meaningful outcomes and protection for vulnerable children,” Ogunlende said.
The commissioner highlighted several high-profile rescue operations triggered by viral social media reports of child abuse and neglect.
He recalled that two children were rescued in collaboration with the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency and the Nigeria Police Force after a viral video showed their mother physically abusing one of them with wires, knives, and other objects. The children were taken into protective care, while the mother was arrested, arraigned, and remanded.
Ogunlende also disclosed that a three-year-old child was rescued after a viral video showed the child drinking dirty water in a severely neglected condition. The child was treated medically and later placed in an approved orphanage, while the grandmother involved was arrested and prosecuted.
In another case, two children reportedly locked indoors for over two months by their father and stepmother were rescued following a whistleblower report and placed under protective care pending family reintegration assessments.
He further revealed that a child with special needs was rescued after being allegedly exploited online by a social media influencer to solicit donations. The child has since been moved to a specialised care facility for therapy and rehabilitation.
Ogunlende reiterated that the Sanwo-Olu administration remains committed to protecting children’s rights through collaboration with schools, healthcare institutions, family courts, security agencies, and community stakeholders.
He warned that the government would continue to take decisive legal action against parents, guardians, carers, and institutions found guilty of child abuse, trafficking, exploitation, or neglect across Lagos State.
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