The Edo State Government has reported that over 70 cases of defilement were recorded in the state between January and July 2026, with 50 per cent of such cases perpetrated by the fathers of the minors involved.
This disclosure was made by the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Eugenia Abdallah, on Thursday, August 13. She stated that the minors defiled by their fathers were between the ages of 2 and 10.
Disturbing Statistics and Cases
“Mostly, 50 per cent are abused by their own fathers, with the victims ranging from 2 to 10 years. For instance, there is a little girl currently in our custody who was impregnated by her father. She is just 14 years old and is eight months pregnant as we speak. The case was reported to us by a neighbour,” Abdallah said.
She further recounted a case where a victim, when asked about her father, claimed she had lost him and pleaded with authorities not to have him arrested. According to the commissioner, the girl is the only person who can reveal her father's whereabouts.
Government Commitment to Protection
The commissioner expressed the state government’s commitment to ensuring that vulnerable citizens are not merely identified but protected. She emphasized that survivors should be supported, women should be provided with economic advancement opportunities, and social-protection programmes should yield measurable outcomes.
“That survivors are not merely heard but supported; that women are not merely trained but provided opportunities for economic advancement; and that social-protection programmes increasingly produce measurable outcomes,” she added.
The report highlights a troubling trend of abuse within families, with a significant number of cases involving close relatives. The Edo State Government continues to address these incidents through its social protection mechanisms.
