THE Police command in Gombe State has appealed to parents to take proper care of their wards, to prevent them from avoidable maltreatment by miscreants in the society.

Mr. Shina Olukolu, Commissioner of Police in the state, made the appeal in Gombe on Wednesday while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said parents were responsible for the proper upbringing of their wards because God entrusted the children under their care.

“You should realise that children were given to you by God on trust, therefore, it is obligatory to ensure that you nurture them from infancy to maturity.

“If you ensure proper upbringing of your ward, monitoring them closely; tell them if either known or unknown person, close relation, tries to be funny with them, they should report.

“By the time you do this, things will be easier for both the parent and security agencies.

“This is because prevention is better than cure; it is good to avert it than to be reluctant and allow it happen.”

Olukolu said the police had a gender unit and cases of such nature were treated with absolute confidentiality.

“Because of fear of stigma, some parents do not like reporting rape cases to the relevant authorities.

“We sincerely need your cooperation, to enable us take the culprit to court to face the wrath of the law,” he said.

He further warned rapists in the state to desist from committing the act, adding that the police would not leave them unpunished.

“It is only people who have issues with their psyche that go around raping others, especially minors.

“You have the liberty to either go and get married or look for a woman of your choice who will agree with your request than going around, forcefully having canal knowledge of ladies, most times minors who are not in the capacity to give consent,” he said.

He also commended non-governmental organizations addressing the plight of children in the state. (NAN)

– Mar. 14, 2018 @ 15:05 GMT |