The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has raised the alarm over the rise in cases of teachers sexually abusing their students in Rivers State.
The Chairperson of FIDA in Rivers State, Adata Bio-Briggs, while speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said between January and April 2022, over 50 cases of teachers defiling their students had been reported and charged to court.
She said some of the recent cases were recorded in Ahoada, Elelenwo and Rumuokuta areas of the state, even as she commended the police for promptly prosecuting many of the cases, which she described as disheartening.
“It is sad and disheartening that we have a lot of students that have been defiled by their caregivers and teachers. We presently have a case from Ahoada; a seven year-year-old child defiled by her teacher. We have another case of a child somewhere in Elelenwo that was also defiled by her teacher.
“We have another one in Rumuokuta, where the child was also defiled by her teacher. So, we have a lot of cases of teachers defiling people they are supposed to be caregivers to. This year alone, we have had more than 50 defilement issues. All the matters of children being defiled by their teachers have been charged to court,” the FIDA chairperson said.
She, however, said FIDA was faced with the challenge of obstruction of prosecution processes by family members of victims.
