By ThePreview Team

 

The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, say they have arrested a 36-year-old woman who was allegedly seen in a disturbing video using sex toys on a minor.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a statement on Friday that the woman, Anulika Onyeanusia, was arrested earlier in the day.

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said police operatives who arrested the suspect also rescued four children, aged two, three, six and nine years.

He said the operatives also recovered sex toys and other unnamed items, which would assist the ongoing investigation.

The police spokesperson said the suspect was being investigated for an alleged case of child pornography in the Onitsha Area of the state.

“The suspect is currently in police custody as the Command intensifies its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence and the possible involvement of other persons.

“The husband of the suspect is also undergoing interrogation to determine whether he has any connection with the alleged offence,” he said.

Mr Ikenga said the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Nnanna Ama, was “deeply disturbed” by the alleged act.

According to him, Mr Ama described the incident as unacceptable, particularly because it involves the exploitation and abuse of children who are incapable of protecting themselves.

The commissioner then directed a thorough and professional investigation into the incident and assured that the rescued children would receive appropriate care and protection.

The police chief noted that, beyond the investigation and prosecution, the Command’s priority was the safety, dignity, and well-being of the rescued children.

He said the police command would work with the appropriate child-protection and relevant support agencies to ensure that the victims receive the necessary care, protection, counselling and other support required for their recovery.

“Their identities and privacy will be protected throughout the process, and they will be treated with compassion and sensitivity,” he said.

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The police commissioner praised vigilante operatives in the area, bloggers, and other residents who provided information that assisted the investigation and led to the suspect’s arrest.

Prohibited in Nigeria

Sexual exploitation and child pornography are both illegal in Nigeria.

Section 32 of the Child Rights Act 2003 prohibits sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the country.

Upon conviction, offenders are liable to 14 years’ imprisonment, according to Section 32(2) of the Act.

Similarly, Child pornography is outlawed in Section 17 (1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition), Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.

Section 17(2) of the Act prescribes imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and a fine of not less than N1 million for convicted offenders.

Even the Cybercrimes Act 2024 also criminalised child pornography.

Several people have been convicted of either child pornography or sexual exploitation of children in Nigeria.