New Telegraph

UNICEF, Ebonyi to prosecute FGM practitioners

United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice yesterday vowed to prosecute perpetrators of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the state. UNICEF and the Ministry said once a person was arrested and taken to police station for the offence, no time would be wasted in prosecuting the accused to serve as deterrent to others.

UNICEF which frowned at the new method being employed by perpetrators in the state which they listed as use of hot water and Vaseline to press the vagina of a baby girl after birth, causing pains, injury and discomfort despite serious campaigns against the phenomenon, stated this in Ezza North local government area of the state during a meeting with male groups in the 12 communities for the elimination of the harmful practice.

The programme was organized by National Orientation Agency (NOA), Ebonyi State with support from UNICEF. UNICEF which was represented by the state Director of NOA, Dr. Emma Abah warned the communities against mutilating their girl-children stating that it was now an offence to engage in the act, urging the men-group to rise to the occasion and bring the harmful practice to an end.

Earlier, Desk Officer, Child Abuse and Trafficking, Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice, Ijeoma Mike- Ajanwachukwu, urged the men-group to be vigilant and report cases of FGM in their localities to security agencies for prosecution. She vowed that the Ministry would not hesitate to prosecute and jail any offender.

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