Plateau State is facing a worsening child protection crisis, with the Child Protection Network (CPN) recording 36 cases of child abuse in just three months and rating the situation 9 out of 10.
The Child Protection Network, Plateau State, has raised the alarm over the growing cases of violence, neglect, exploitation and abuse against children across the state, warning that the reported figures may only represent a fraction of the actual situation.
State Coordinator of the CPN, Sandra Chikan, disclosed during an interview with Plateau Bloggers and Online Media Association that the network receives an average of at least three child protection cases every week through its helplines.
She said the scale of the crisis was serious enough to rate child abuse in Plateau at 9 out of 10, stressing that the problem is not limited to conflict-affected communities or internally displaced persons.
According to the CPN coordinator, children across different communities are being exposed to several forms of vulnerability, including child labour, artisanal mining, substance abuse, trafficking, domestic violence and sexual abuse.
She expressed particular concern over reports of children as young as three and four years old being taken to mining sites.
Chikan also disclosed that some children as young as seven and eight have reportedly been found staying outside their homes until the early hours of the morning, with some becoming exposed to drugs and other harmful activities.
Some children, she said, are allegedly being used to carry or sell drugs, while others become vulnerable to trafficking after being pushed into informal jobs.
The network also identified violence within homes as a major child protection concern.
Chikan cited cases involving children allegedly subjected to physical abuse by guardians, including a girl whose hand was reportedly broken by her guardian.
She said children brought into homes as domestic helps are also among those vulnerable to violence and exploitation.
In another reported case, a boy was allegedly sleeping inside a tricycle, regularly beaten and denied food.
Underage girls working long hours in restaurants without adequate food or proper care were also among the cases brought to the network.
“Neglect is high,” Chikan said, warning that inadequate parental supervision leaves children exposed to abuse and exploitation.
Despite the scale of the challenge, the CPN said it has been able to secure positive outcomes in most of the cases it handled.
Of the 36 cases recorded during the last quarter, 85 per cent received outcomes described by the network as justice for the affected children.
The network explained that justice does not necessarily mean prosecution or conviction.
In some cases, children were reunited with their parents, while others were removed from unsafe environments and placed in safer settings.
Others received medical treatment, counselling, educational support or temporary shelter while arrangements were made for their reunification or alternative care.
To expand its interventions, the Child Protection Network has launched the Save the Plateau Child Initiative, a six-month campaign aimed at raising ₦200 million.
The funds will be used to strengthen child protection structures and interventions across all 17 local government areas of Plateau State.
The initiative includes plans to establish school-based child rights clubs, create child protection committees across the LGAs, strengthen the capacity of relevant agencies and produce educational and sensitisation materials.
Child protection committees have already been established in five LGAs with support from SOS, with plans to extend the programme across the state.
The Plateau State Government has so far contributed ₦10 million to the initiative.
Chikan appealed to individuals, businesses, organisations and other levels of government to support the campaign.
The network also disclosed that it currently does not operate a permanent safe home for rescued or vulnerable children.
It relies on partner organisations and existing shelters for longer-term accommodation, while its office has only a small emergency space for urgent cases.
The CPN works with organisations including child-focused foundations, homes and shelters, the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators.
It is also involved in efforts to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for child protection in Plateau, including the review of the Plateau State Child Rights Law and the implementation of child rights committees at state and local government levels.
The Child Protection Network called on parents, communities, government institutions and other stakeholders to treat child protection as a collective responsibility.
It urged members of the public to report suspected cases early rather than waiting until abuse escalates.
The network stressed that protecting children requires more than responding to abuse after it occurs, insisting that prevention, public awareness, early reporting and effective referral systems are equally critical.
With 36 cases handled in just one quarter and the network rating the situation at 9 out of 10, the CPN says urgent and sustained action is needed to protect children across Plateau State.
Anyone seeking help or wishing to report a child protection concern can contact the Child Protection Network, Plateau State:
MTN: 09033309421, 09033441242
Airtel: 08125802205, 08123911883
Email: cpnplateaustate@gmail.com
Office: Plot 14, Off Da Gwom Du Road, Peakfield Academy Street, Fwavel, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State.
