The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said a boy of about 12 years old attempted to commit suicide in Abuja recently after he was abandoned by his parents.

The boy was rescued after he made an attempt to slit his throat with a knife.

He was abandoned, alongside his younger siblings of seven and four by both parents for four months. He was said to be tired of their condition.

Director General, NAPTIP, Dr. Fatima Waziri-Azi, said people were able to rescue the boy because he unknowingly used the blunt side of the knife to cut himself and could not do much damage before help came.

Waziri-Azi, who also raised the alarm over the rise in domestic violence in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the agency received 1100 reports in the FCT between January to October this year.

The DG made this known at a Community Engagement and Stakeholders Dialogue on gender-based violence.

She said, “Another case that would be with me for a very long time, involves three children residing in Jabi village, who were abandoned by both parents for about four months. The oldest amongst these kids was 12 years, who tried to kill himself; he took a knife to his neck and as God would have it, he was using the blunt side so not much damage was done.

“When he was rescued and brought to NAPTIP, I saw the mark on his neck because their parents abandoned them for four months. We got hold of the father within a week and eventually, the mother and detained them. For AMAC we see a lot of abandonment.

“Parents either abandon their children or fathers abandon wives and children, I am sharing this trend so everyone knows what is prevalent in their Area Councils. The rate of violence against women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is really alarming. In ten months, that is, from January to October, the agency received 1100 reports of domestic and sexual violence from the FCT alone and out of which 126 reports were investigated.

“Most times when people report and we start investigations, file matter in court and start prosecution, the next thing the women will write and say she wants to withdraw the case and we find that 100 percent of the time, the reason is because of societal pressure from family, community and the fear of reprisal,” she added.

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