Two students of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki (EBSU) are battling for survival at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC), Abakaliki after undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The state Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law stipulates four years imprisonment with or without N200,000 fine option against perpetrators of FGM in the state. The enactment of the law notwithstanding, some families in the state still carry out the ancient harmful practice.
This is also as the police in the state have arrested three persons in Ohaukwu local government area for mutilating a 16-year girl (name withheld).
The suspects are Onwe Oluchi, the patent medicine dealer who mutilated the girl, as well as Agbo Ekpa, and Mary Ekpa, the victim’s parents.
The director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Ebonyi State, Emma Abah confirmed the development while addressing students of Urban Model Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Ugwuachara, in Ebonyi local government area of the state last weekend.
The NOA director stated that two female students of EBSU were battling for their lives at NOFIC after they were mutilated. Abah advised the students to resist mutilation and rather become the champions to end the harmful practice.
“The victims are being treated. They were mutilated when they were young and now they have developed complication ten years after. If you know any FGM persons who have any complication, send them to us quickly,” she said.
Head of the legal department of the state NOA, Thresa Ama said that a recent mutilation in Ohaukwu was reported by the traditional ruler of Ohaukwu, a local government where 11 communities had denounced female genital mutilation.
“Last week, we were called by a traditional ruler in Ohaukwu that some persons mutilated a child of 16 years. When we rushed there, we met the persons but the police didn’t give us good response because they were not aware of it. But when we went back there and fully explained, the next day the suspects were arrested. We arrested the parents and the cutter; she is a patent medicine dealer, she sells drugs and she cuts in her store
Police public relations officer in the state, Loveth Odah said that the matter was under investigation and would be charged to court at the end.
