***Rights Group Cries Out, Demands Governor Sule’s Swift Intervention to Save Ukasha
A four-year-old orphan, Ukasha, is currently battling both physical pain and emotional trauma after suffering a brutal assault at the hands of his guardian, Mai-Naira Abdullahi, in the Galafima Phase II area of Tudun Amber, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The child’s only “offence,” according to eyewitnesses and rights groups, was dancing with other children and women during a naming ceremony on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
What followed, described by residents as “barbaric and inhumane,” has sparked national outrage.
Rights advocacy group Men Against Rape Foundation (MARF) condemned the assault as a near-fatal act of violence.
The group, upon receiving harrowing video footage and images of the child’s injuries, issued a scathing statement demanding urgent action from Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.
“What we saw was not discipline. It was attempted murder,” the group said in a joint electronic statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Lemmy Ughegbe, and Director of Strategic Development, Dr. Augustine Eigbe.
Ukasha sustained deep, open wounds across his back, sides, stomach, and face. Eyewitnesses reported that the injuries were still bleeding two days after the beating. Disturbingly, the child has not received any pain medication or medical treatment since the incident.
“He kept saying, ‘I just danced,’” said a neighbour, whose voice cracked while recounting the scene. “This is a baby. He’s just a child.”
MARF emphasized that this case is not isolated, citing a similar tragedy in February where a student was allegedly flogged to death in an Islamic school in Lafia, with no justice served.
“We cannot continue to normalise brutality under the guise of discipline or religious assertion,” the foundation declared. “A society that cannot protect its children cannot protect its future.”
The group has called on Governor Sule to immediately intervene by ensuring Ukasha’s rescue, initiating a full criminal investigation, and prosecuting the perpetrator to the full extent of the law.
They also appealed to the National Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs, and other advocacy groups to rally around Ukasha and fight for justice.
As the small boy suffers silently, a nation watches—waiting to see if justice will finally speak for the voiceless.