A Delta-based NGO, the Nigerian Child Welfare Fund (NCWF), has expressed concern over the state’s increasing rate of child abuse and other social vices.

Its Chief Executive Officer Joshua Omorere expressed the displeasure on Monday in Warri.

Mr Omorere, who attributed the development to poverty, lack of birth control, among others, urged the state government to rise to its responsibilities by investing more in social services.

“As an insider, I can tell you authoritatively that the rate of child abuse in the state has risen to about 60 per cent,” he said. “There is this case of a young girl (name withheld) from a family of nine girls because the parents could not foot their bills decided to entrust her to another family.”

Continuing, he stated, “Unfortunately, the husband of the new family was allegedly abusing the girl. That is one among the many cases I am handling at the moment. Like I always advise, if you know you cannot take care of somebody’s child, do not accept the child.”

Mr Omorere lamented the rate at which teenagers indulge in prostitution, drug addiction and other forms of social vices in society.

“Government should wake up to its responsibilities by investing more in social services and providing social workers with adequate logistics to enable them to do their work,” he noted. “The rate of child abuse is on the increase daily. We keep seeing teenagers prostituting on daily basis and nothing is being done about it. It is very sad.”

He pointed out that “you cannot walk around Warri and environs at night without seeing children indulging in one illicit thing or the other,” including prostitution and drug abuse.

Mr Omorere, however, frowned upon the manner police are handling child abuse cases, stressing that offenders should always be charged to court after investigations.

(NAN)