The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a woman for allegedly flogging and locking up a 10-year-old orphan in a kennel.
It was learnt that the incident happened in the Surulere area of Lagos.
There had been outrage on the social media after a video went viral showing the suspect beating the boy for an unstated offence before throwing him into the dog cage.
Nigerians had called for the arrest and prosecution of the suspect, as a former spokesperson for the Zone 2 Police Command, Dolapo Badmos, promised to act on the footage.
In a post on her Instagram page on Thursday, Badmos said the suspect had been apprehended.
She stated, “Last week, we got the report of a woman, who beat up a lad and threw him into a dungeon of dogs.
“The domestic violence response team of the Lagos State Police Command was activated. The team went into action and the woman was arrested.
“The suspect is in custody and will be charged. The boy, who happens to be an orphan, has been rescued and kept in a shelter provided by the Lagos State Government.”
The Coordinator of the Lagos State Domestic Sexual Violence Response Team, Lola Adeniyi, commended the resident, who recorded the video and gave information to security agencies.
She said the suspect was traced based on the information provided by the mandatory reporter.
Adeniyi stated, “On getting to the house, the suspect was not around. So, we dropped a letter of invitation for her and she responded yesterday (Wednesday). She was arrested and the child taken into protective custody.
“The 10-year-old is her cousin. Apparently, the boy is an orphan and had been living with her. She claimed that he stole.
“But locking him in a kennel cannot be the right thing to do. It is a violation of his right as a child. He has the right to life and dignity. “He should not be tortured. So, aside from the beating, he was debased as if he was a dog and that will not be allowed in Lagos. We have enacted the Child Rights Law since 2007 and we are ensuring that the law is enforced.”
She urged Nigerians not to keep quiet when they see children being abused in their environment.
Adeniyi applauded the mandatory reporter for being a good Nigerian.
“You can report anonymously so that your identity will be preserved. The most important thing is that when you see something, say something,” she added.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, confirmed the arrest of the suspect in a statement.
