A growing child sexual abuse crisis in Lawanti community, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, has prompted traditional leaders, residents and government officials to call for an end to silence, family cover-ups and impunity.
The alarm was raised during a gender-based violence sensitisation programme held at the palace of the District Head of Lawanti, Alhaji Bello Hassan.
Speaking at the gathering, Hassan said his palace had received reports of more than 50 cases within a short period, a development he described as a serious concern for the community.
The figure represents cases brought to the attention of the traditional institution and does not necessarily reflect the total number of incidents in Lawanti.
The accounts emerging from the community include children allegedly assaulted while carrying out routine activities such as fetching firewood, walking home or working on farms.
One mother, whose identity was changed to protect her family, said her 10-year-old daughter disappeared for several hours after leaving home to fetch firewood in January 2026.
The mother eventually found the child in a weakened state and was told that a man had allegedly lured her with a promise of firewood before sexually assaulting her.
Another family recounted how a 15-year-old girl was allegedly attacked while returning from an errand.
Her mother said the incident left the teenager traumatised and afraid to speak about what happened because of the stigma associated with sexual violence.
An 11-year-old girl was also reported to have stopped working on farms after her mother alleged that a farm owner sexually assaulted her while she was working alone.
The identities of the children and their families have been withheld or changed to prevent further victimisation.
Residents who attended the sensitisation said perpetrators were often familiar faces in the community, but fear, family relationships, social influence and stigma frequently discourage victims and their relatives from reporting.
“The people doing these things are not spirits. We know them,” one resident, identified as Buba, said.
Another participant, Gambo Shehu, argued that the absence of consequences was encouraging offenders.
“If somebody commits this kind of crime and nothing happens, others become bold enough to do the same,” he said.
Hassan acknowledged that pursuing some cases could be difficult because of family connections and competing interests.
“There are vested interests beyond my official capacity,” he said.
The district head, however, insisted that the traditional institution could not confront the problem alone.
“I cannot do it alone. We need cooperation from everyone if we are to overcome this problem,” he said.
Hassan disclosed that a committee of women had been established to take the awareness campaign into homes, while ward heads were directed to extend the campaign across the community.
He also called on religious leaders, parents and residents to encourage victims and families to report cases instead of settling them privately.
The Gombe State Ministry of Justice also warned residents against concealing child sexual abuse.
Its Gender-Based Violence Desk Officer, Barrister Mwalin Abdu, said sexual abuse was a criminal matter requiring proper investigation and accountability.
Abdu urged families to report suspected cases to the appropriate authorities and stressed the need for stronger cooperation between communities, schools, religious institutions and government agencies.
Gombe domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition framework in 2022, while the state has also enacted a child-protection framework. Questions have, however, remained about the implementation and accessibility of child-protection legislation.
The problem is not unique to Lawanti. UNICEF says six out of every 10 Nigerian children experience some form of violence before reaching adulthood, while one in four girls and one in 10 boys have experienced sexual violence.
The agency has also warned that many victims do not receive the support required to recover, with stigma and silence remaining major barriers to reporting.
For residents of Lawanti, the demand now is for the silence to end.
The community’s latest sensitisation effort has opened a difficult conversation about child safety. The critical next step will be turning that conversation into effective reporting, survivor support and accountability for offenders.
