Police operatives in Sokoto State have rescued a 12-year-old girl, Joy Emmanuel, who was caged for eight months by her guardians at their home in Sokoto North local government area of the state.
The spokesman of the state police command, Sanusi Abubakar, who confirmed the development to journalists on Friday in Sokoto, listed the guardians as Bassey and Esther Emmanuel.
He said the girl was locked up and deprived of food by the guardians because of her unstable mental condition.
The spokesman added that the victim was rescued on Thursday while the guardians were arrested and detained at the Dadin Kowa police station.
Abubakar said: “They kept the girl in a cage at their compound and starved her of food for eight months.
“When our men broke the door of the cage, the girl was too frail to walk because she was emaciated. We met her in a very horrible situation, urinating and excreting inside the cage.
The girl was taken to the specialist’s hospital for treatment.”
He said the victim and the suspects would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person and other Related Matters (NAPTIP) for further action.
