The Edo State Government says more than 70 cases of defilement were recorded across the state between January and July 2026, with fathers allegedly responsible for over half of the reported cases.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Eugenia Abdallah, disclosed this on Thursday during the bi-monthly press conference organised by the state Ministry of Information and Strategy.
Abdallah said the victims in cases involving their fathers were mostly children between the ages of two and 10.
She disclosed that one of the victims currently in the custody of the state government is a 14-year-old girl who is eight months pregnant after allegedly being impregnated by her father.
According to the commissioner, the case was brought to the attention of the authorities by a neighbour.
She said, “Mostly, 50 per cent are abused by their own fathers, with the victims ranging from two to 10 years.”
Abdallah added that the alarming trend had reinforced the need for stronger child protection measures and greater public awareness to prevent sexual abuse of minors.
The commissioner appeared alongside the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, and the Managing Director of the Edo State Geographic Information Service, Innocent Bello, at the briefing.