The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two Islamic clerics in Owo, Ondo State, over the alleged brutalisation of two minors placed under their care for religious education.
The suspects, identified as Adebodun Muideen, 30, of Al-Balaagul-Mubeen Arabic and Islamic Centre, and Oladejo Musiliu, 35, of Abdullah Arabic and Islamic Centre, were apprehended following a report by a child-rights organisation, Kids and Teens Resource Centre.
Confirming the arrests in a statement on Thursday, the Ondo State NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Daniel Aidamenbor, speaking on behalf of the State Commandant, Oluyemi Ibiloye, said the case was reported on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, after a class teacher observed multiple injuries on the victims and alerted the advocacy group.
According to Aidemenbor, preliminary investigations revealed that the victims’ parents, who live in Osun State, had sent the children to Owo for Qur’anic and Islamic studies alongside their conventional schooling.
“The victims were placed under the care of the clerics for religious instruction,” the statement said.
He explained that the incident allegedly began when one of the minors returned home with a Vivo Android phone and was unable to give a satisfactory explanation of how he obtained it.
“During questioning, the second boy was implicated in the incident. In an attempt to reprimand them, the clerics allegedly used a heated cutlass on their backs and buttocks, inflicting deep wounds on them,” the NSCDC stated.
The corps described the alleged act as “a total violation of the Child Rights Act and the Ondo State Child Protection Law.”
Aidamenbor disclosed that the suspects had reportedly made confessional statements and would be arraigned in court.
“The clerics will be formally charged and prosecuted for offences bordering on assault and child abuse,” he said.
He warned religious institutions, parents, and guardians against excessive and unlawful punishment of children, stressing that violence against minors remains a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
“Acts of violence against children, no matter the justification, constitute criminal offences punishable under Nigerian law,” Aidamenbor added.
He also commended the prompt intervention of the Executive Director of the Kids and Teens Resource Centre and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of child abuse.
“We call on everyone to be watchful and promptly report cases of child abuse to security agencies,” the corps stated.
