NSCDC arrests Muslim clerics over alleged brutalisation of minors in Ondo

By Boye Oyeyemi –

Two Islamic clerics have been arrested by the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for allegedly brutalising two minors in Owo, Ondo State.

The State Commandant of the NSCDC, Oluyemi Joshua Ibiloye, disclosed this through the command’s Public Relations Officer, Daniel Aidamenbor, in a statement issued in Akure on Thursday.

The suspects, identified as Adebodun Muideen, 30, of Al-Balaagul-Mubeen Arabic and Islamic Centre, and Oladejo Musiliu, 35, of Abdullah Arabic and Islamic Centre, were arrested following allegations of assault and child abuse.

The arrest followed a report by a child rights advocacy group, Kids and Teens Resource Centre, which was alerted by the class teacher of the victims after noticing multiple injuries on the children.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the minors, whose parents reside in Osun State, were handed over to the clerics to study the Qur’an and Islamic practices while also attending conventional schools.

The NSCDC said trouble started when one of the children returned with an Android phone and could not satisfactorily explain how he got it, leading to the implication of the second child.

In an attempt to punish them, the clerics allegedly used a heated cutlass on the children’s backs and buttocks, inflicting deep wounds, an act the corps described as a clear violation of the Child Rights Act and the Ondo State Child Protection Law.

The suspects, who reportedly made confessional statements, are expected to be charged to court, as the commandant warned parents and religious institutions against unlawful discipline and urged the public to promptly report cases of child abuse to security agencies.