A Pastor and founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ikirun in Ifelodun local government area of Osun state, Prophet Samson Olatoke, has been arrested for locking up his 20-year-old child, Olatoke Opeyemi, for five years.
Olatoke was arrested alongside his son who is an elder brother to Opeyemi.
The state government has, however, rescued Opeyemi who was said to have been locked up in an abandoned house by her parents.
The Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs, Barr. Olubukola Olaboopo who was represented by the Senior Social Welfare Officer of the Ministry, Mr Segun Akande, disclosed that the girl was locked up at Alfa Fire area,Oke- Iba, Obaagun road, Ikirun, Ifelodun local government of Osun state.
According to the Commissioner, “the case of the wicked act was reported at the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs by an NGO; Value Female Network in the state, and the ministry swiftly swung into action to rescue the victim. As I speak now, the girl who is emaciated has been taken for medical attention which bills would be footed by the state government. She stated that the government of Governor Gboyega Oyetola is determined to protect the vulnerable and the less privileged.
Olaboopo urged parents to take good care of their children, saying parents found maltreating their wards will be dealt with according to the laws of the state.
In her own words, the founder of Value Female Network NGO, Dr. Mrs. Aderibigbe Costly, explained that an anonymous source disclosed the information to the organization that a man had locked up his physically challenged child in an abandoned family house for five years in Ikirun, adding that the father of the child only feeds the girl once in a while.
She said, “based on the information, we started our investigation, it was in the process of the investigation that we got the number of the elder brother of the girl that was locked up. We were later able to locate the house. As an NGO located in the state, we work closely with the ministry of Women, Children and Social Affairs. Let me use this medium to commend the government of the state of Osun through the ministry for prompt response which has led to the rescue of the girl.”
The father of the girl, Prophet Samson Olatoke, founder of C& S, Ileri Ayo parish Ikirun, disclosed that they decided to lock her up because of her health challenges.
The victim’s mother explained that she did not give birth to Opeyemi with disability, saying “it all started when she was four years old when she shouted from her sleep and that was how she became lame.”
