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Lagos Juvenile Welfare Centre, once a haven for vulnerable children, has become a shadow of its former self due to neglect and lack of funding. DAYO OYEWO, in this report, writes on how the centre, established to provide emergency shelter and care, now struggles to accommodate abused and abandoned children
The traumatic experience of child abuse can leave lasting scars, and the journey to justice can be equally daunting. While these range from physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, to child trafficking, child labour, and abandonment to mention but a few, the victims face numerous challenges in the process of seeking justice following the lack of systemic reform and support.
The case of Jessica (not her real name) was not an exception as the 15-year-old girl’s life was shattered by the unspeakable actions of those meant to protect her. Her story was that of a harrowing tale of defilement, abuse, and neglect.
In the heart of the Gbagada area of Lagos State where the victim resided, her stepfather, identified simply as Fred allegedly defiled her repeatedly. The abuse, spanning two years, reportedly resulted in two pregnancies and forced abortions, all carried out with the knowledge and complicity of her guardian
Respite came the way of Jessica when Fred’s unspeakable act became public knowledge. As the perpetrator was being arrested and set to be made to face justice, the minor’s struggle for safety and support began.
A rights group, the Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, had facilitated the arrest in April 2024, only to face a daunting obstacle bordering on securing a shelter for the victim while the investigation commenced. “It was a frustrating ordeal,” Jennifer Nwosu, ACVPN’s case manager, disclosed.
She said, “The culprit was arrested and interrogated while the survivor was also interrogated where she revealed what she had gone through. Afterwards, they asked the abused teenager to go back home with them but we objected.
“I told the police that they have a unit at the Alakara Police Station and they gave the excuse that they could not take her there and that we should take her to the state Ministry for Youth and Social Development. When we insisted, they asked us to take her to our house, which was impossible. We ended up taking her to Alausa.”
Wondering why a victim of such abuse would be denied shelter in such a precarious situation, a police source would later disclose that the JWC where she ought to have been taken was no longer habitable and safe.
Established over 50 years ago by the Nigeria Police Force, the Juvenile Welfare Centre located beside the Alakara Police Station, Mushin, Lagos State, has been a transit home for the abandoned, destitute and a temporary refuge for countless vulnerable children, providing them with emergency shelter and care in their darkest hours.
The centre used to be a refuge for missing or abandoned children and those who come into contact with the law. For the short period spent at the centre, these young souls find solace within its walls, receiving the care and support they so desperately need. The centre’s dedicated team, comprising police personnel across various ranks, work tirelessly to ensure the children’s physical and emotional well-being.
The children, when brought to the facility, spend less than a week or more as the case may before the missing ones among them were being reunited with their loved ones or taken to the Lagos State Ministry and Social Development shelter.
Meanwhile, the facility operated optimally, delivering on the essence of its establishment and garnering accolades from various quarters. However, in a shocking turn of events, the once-esteemed Juvenile Welfare Center began to decline offers to take in children who desperately need shelter indicating a stark contrast to its former glory.
In the bustling streets of Eleko in the Eti-Osa Local Government area of Lagos State was another heart-wrenching tale of betrayal and violation, leaving a family shattered and seeking justice.
A 15-year-old deaf girl,(name withheld) trusting in the friendship of three adults, was brutally defiled, her silence exploited by those she thought she could trust.
Her mother, a middle-aged woman, who spoke to our correspondent had her eyes brimming with tears, as she recounted the horrific ordeal her daughter endured.
“My child’s disability was used against her. She couldn’t speak out, and I didn’t know until her younger sister, who understands her sign language, revealed the truth.”
The perpetrators, taking advantage of the teenager’s vulnerability, allegedly raped her multiple times. The first, thrice; the second, once; and the third, twice, with the last assault occurring on July 14, 2024.
The victim’s sister who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday, July 28, was the only one who could hear and interpret what she said. Corroborating her claim, the victim wrote the time she was allegedly sexually assaulted and the number of times. The mother’s anguish was palpable as she described her daughter’s suffering.
The case was reported by an NGO and the alleged perpetrators were arrested. Meanwhile, from the point the investigation commenced with allegations of hostility towards the complainants by the IPO in charge of the case at the Elemoro police station, the victim was left in the environment of her alleged abusers, due to the restraints relating to the police shelter.
Also in a similar disturbing situation, the Lagos State Police Command in May saved two infants abandoned in an apartment on Adelakun Street, Iju Ishaga, Lagos.
The toddlers were found in a state of neglect as residents alerted the authorities to their plight, stating that the mother who struggled with substance abuse, locked them inside while she was away.
Shockingly, this was the second rescue operation for the same children, previously returned to their mother’s care despite initial intervention by concerned citizens. It was discovered that this was not unconnected to the same shelter.
A former Divisional Police Officer in Iju-Ishaga carried out the rescue operation but the children were returned to their mother, instead of being placed under the care of government authorities for proper action.
Checks by our correspondent revealed this had become the trend across various police stations across the state as most requests to have the young ones taken to the centre were declined due to the condition of the facility.
The next move was a planned visit to the facility for an on-the-spot assessment. Before then, this journalist established contact with past workers in the facility who have either retired or been posted out of the state as they gave more insight into the sorry state of the JWC.
However, due to the sensitive nature of the report, the respondents preferred anonymity as the only condition upon which they could speak on the development.
In a shadow of its past
One could obviously tell that the Juvenile Welfare Centre started running on a pleasant note before later turning into a shadow of itself.
“In those days, over twenty police officers used to work in the centre, but now all of them have left. Most of them do not want to work there again. They have abandoned the place because of lack of funding and remuneration for the workers,” one of the police sources told our correspondent.
Further painting a dire picture, the source further narrated, “Then there is a woman who used to bring food. We also rely on people to assist us because of little or no funding from the government. The good Samaritans bring food, drinks, and water but what they do is not enough. All the missing children or the abused ones in the whole of Lagos State once taken to the police station are always directed to JWC and when taken there, they end up staying in the centre for the time being.
“When JWC was established, it used to be self-funded. Even then, the Nigeria Police Force used to fund the running of the facility and also pay the food vendor that provide the food they eat twice a day. But after a while, the funding stopped coming and the vendor also stopped bringing food, since she was also owed some outstanding. So the facility had to start relying on people who bring food. For instance, Anyone who celebrates his or her birthday may wish to come around to share food items and clothing materials.”
Uninhabitable for infants
The JWC had lost count of the number of newborn babies it had accommodated since it was created. This notwithstanding the proper care its staff members gave to them.
During this period, babies dumped at different places were brought to the centre before they were transferred to the state government.
“There was a time they brought a baby that was bitten by a pig and we had to rush the baby to the hospital where he was taken care of and brought back to the centre before being taken to the Lagos ministry. This is a time when we even have beds for babies as well as for the older ones. But now the beds are no longer available in the facility and the ones that are now there are not good for use. They really need assistance,” a retired female police officer who used to work at Alakara police station disclosed.
According to her, the procedure for handling found babies has changed. “When a baby is found, they contact us and bring it here, but due to space constraints and previous vandalism, the facility can no longer accept children,” she explained.
She added that the Gender Unit coordinates with the Lagos Ministry to take over the baby’s care, marking a significant shift from past practices, where children were readily accepted at the facility.
“But the place has to be working because it is the only emergency shelter the police have throughout Lagos State. We cannot keep children in the station. When an abandoned baby is being brought to the station, will you keep them with an adult or with police officers? The place has been like that for like two years and the Gender Unit has stopped working with them but only liaises with the Lagos government.
Abused Children sleep at police station, officers’ home
Rescued from horrific situations, the abused children as well as those who had contact with the law are left without a haven due to the current state of the Juvenile Welfare Center.
Police officers, tasked with protecting these vulnerable victims in cases where the children were not allowed to return to the abused environment, were forced to take drastic measures. They resorted to makeshift solutions which appeared far from ideal, even as they ended up struggling to ensure the children’s safety.
Narrating the experiences, another source in the state police headquarters said, “There are times when an abused child is taken to the police station in the evening and there is no shelter to take them to. Leaving them at the police station is not proper, so the IPO ended up taking the child home.”
This, according to the source, had happened numerous times. While also stating emphatically that such action was illegal as well as a risk, she said, “The officers had no choice than to take them home, then bring the child the following day.
“A particular OC gender rejected the last set of children that were taken there. This is because the children used to escape through the broken window and the children are not safe. And the major reason for this is because of the police officers that abandoned the place. When there were still a sufficient number of police officers working in the facility, they used to run shifts of morning, afternoon and night. So there was no way the children would have damaged the property including the windows where they escaped through. The officers used to be vigilant and they also ensured they had a headcount of the children. This was also a time when the support given to the workers made them to be passionate about the work.
“One such case was that of a child that was defiled by her father and we didn’t want the child to go back to her father’s house and we couldn’t also give her to the mother because the mother was supporting the father saying he could not do such a thing. This was a case that happened on a late Friday. The IPO had to take the child home and even at that the officer could not sleep till morning before it was risky.”
One harrowing case involved a 12-year-old trafficking victim. Rescued but with nowhere to go, she was temporarily housed in a canteen near the police station. The officers were later left scrambling after being alerted of her attempt to escape. “The case was also an experience that almost became a problem for the OC Gender officers,” the source revealed.
Giving a vivid account of what transpired, the police source said, “The child was rescued from child traffickers and there was no place to keep her, so they kept her at a canteen close to their office. It was not too long before the owner of the canteen said the victim was about to scale the fence behind the canteen in order to escape. This was a major challenge. Anytime it was a weekend and there was no place to keep the children, they had to start keeping them behind the counter at the police station. This is what happens across most police stations due to the current state of the centre. Most times, the IPO in charge refuses to take them home for fear of unforeseen circumstances. Now the question is where will that child stay for the weekend before being taken to Alausa the following Monday? Staying behind the counter traumatises the children more. You can imagine the settings of our police station. Instances where the child sees handling and cocking of guns during that period. This is a memory that lives with them for a long time. “
“The centre needs help to shed the workload on Lagos State. Their shelter is overcrowded, but if this is upgraded, children can stay there, for two to three weeks. The centre also needs a vehicle to do the home tracing. Most of the children first provide the wrong address and the police will first have to go there before later discovering that the address was wrong.,” the source added.
UNICEF promises long-awaited
As part of plans to extend its goodwill, officials of UNICEF were said to have visited the JWC while they promised to renovate the building to make it conducive for the youngsters that were brought to the temporary shelter.
The team also proposed a plan of converting the structure to a storey building in order to accommodate more children. The plan however did not materialize.
A similar visit was also made to the centre by officials of the United States Embassy and Consulate whereby the staff members were interviewed on what was lacking, but there was no feedback whatsoever.
“Since their visit, we never heard anything from them. If the building had been renovated by the UNICEF team, it could have accommodated more children compared to about 25 that the place often accommodated.
“Ordinarily, the place ought to have a recreation centre where they can come outside and play food. What they can’t enjoy may be due to their social conditions, they could as we enjoy it there too. Their right to social development should not be taken away from them. They should also have a library. The place should not be held up in the place like there is in a cell of sorts. They have a right to social development. It should be home away from home for them,” said another former staff member who was privy to the visit.
Visit to JWC
During a recent visit to the children’s centre in Lagos, our correspondent discovered deplorable conditions that mirrored the facility’s reported decline. To gain unfettered access, he posed as a representative of a Non-Governmental Organisation seeking to provide support.
Upon arrival, children numbering six with ages ranging between six to two years were seen playing in the reception, cared for by an attendant who graciously offered to conduct a tour. A check into the dormitory where the children sleep, however, revealed a stark reality. It was a sight of a handful of bunk beds with torn and worn-out foam mattresses, posing serious hygiene concerns.
“The bed we are using was brought here many years ago and that is why it is as old as it looks,” the caregiver explained in the expectation that the supposed NGO would note it for action.
Beside the main bungalow stands a detached building, long abandoned due to funding shortages. A glimpse inside revealed remnants of a once-habitable space, now reduced to decay. Some parts of the ceiling, as observed by our correspondent, had also been damaged.
“The roof has been leaking for a long time and water had destroyed quite a number of things since there was no how we could fix it. The generator is working but we are always kept in the dark at night except the officers from police stations around buy petrol for us.
“Odi Olowo local council gave us this gas and that was a long time ago but it is no longer in use. We had to start using this small one while we also use firewood sometimes. We don’t have running water in the facility, we go out all the time to fetch water.”
UNICEF on children
UNICEF’s position on providing shelter for abused children and improving their living conditions is guided by its mandate to protect and promote the rights of all children, ensuring they have access to safe temporary shelter, alternative care arrangements, and stable living conditions.
Henrietta Fore, former UNICEF Executive Director, emphasized the importance of providing safe shelter for children while stressing that children have the right to safe and protective environments.
Part of UNICEF’s various strategies include protecting children from violence, providing safe shelter, alternative care, and reintegration support. It also includes improving living conditions by ensuring access to basic needs like food, water, sanitation, healthcare, and education, as well as establishing child-friendly spaces and engaging local communities.
Experts’ reaction
The Executive Director, Project Alert, Dr. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, described the situation as distressing.
She also called on the state government to intervene through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Agency.
She said, “It is distressing for me as an activist and Gender Advocate who almost on a daily basis has to respond to sexual crimes against children, to learn that the Juvenile Welfare Centre is in a deplorable condition and children who either are in conflict with the law or are victims of crimes and need an urgent safe space, cannot get that service from the state. Children are not supposed to be kept in the police stations. That is totally unacceptable.
“The Lagos state government should as a matter of urgency look into this, through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Agency. DSVA as an agency is doing a whole lot and even recently opened a shelter for abused women and children. Project Alert on Violence Against Women, my NGO also runs a shelter, but these should not replace the Juvenile Welfare Centre. These other shelters should complement the JWC.”
A Professor of Psychology and the Dean of Social Sciences at the Lagos State University, Olufemi Lawal, described the psychological impact of keeping abused children back in the environment where they belong due to shelter as far-reaching.
According to him, leaving the child to grow up in such an environment would result in making such abuse a norm for the child.
“As you might know, the psychological impact of abuse can be far-reaching on children. When such a child is subjected to that kind of treatment and seeks refuge with the help of the police the best the police could do is to return the child to where he or she got abused, I think that is quite unfortunate. If they grow up like that in a society where they get abused, they won’t see anything wrong in abusing someone else. It is a problem already if their personality is brutalized at that point of development.
“What can be done is to hold people accountable for what they are paid to do. The earlier we stem that tide, the better for our society because most of the anti-social personalities that you see in society are the way they are because of what happened to them when they were growing up; the kind of abuse they were not able to overcome due to lack of rehabilitation.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a brief response said the centre did not reject children, but help fast-track placement into other safe shelters.
He said, “The centre does not reject children. They only help fast-track placement for such children through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development into other safe shelters as the facility is filled.”
