Date: 2016-10-05

An Ilorin-based legal practitioner, Mrs Bola Ake, has called for the arrest of careless parents as a means of protecting child rights in the country.

Ake, who gave the advice when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Tuesday, said government should be rigid on parents in order to protect child rights.

She said most parents were careless in handling their children, resulting into the high rate of child abuse in the country. "Most parents shows non-challant attitude toward their children and go scot-free in Nigeria unlike advanced countries where effective child rights law are in place," Ake said.

The lawyer called on the government to arrest parents of children found roaming about the street aimlessly to serve as a deterrent to other parents.

Ake urged the Integrated Child Protection Scheme to ensure the protection of child rights and keep children safe from risks of childhood. "Human rights applies to all age groups, children respectively have the same human rights as adults," she said. Ake also advised parents to take appropriate care of their children and ensure they impacted good morals of life in them.