The Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN) has raised alarm over what it describes as a troubling case of child defilement, abduction and alleged obstruction of justice involving an 11-year-old girl in Bariga, Lagos State.
In a statement, ACVPN alleged that a man identified as Mr Evergreen abducted the minor from Bariga and took her to Akoka, after which she was declared missing the following day. Witnesses reportedly told police they saw Evergreen drive away with the child, prompting an investigation. Medical examinations later confirmed that the girl had been sexually assaulted.
Evergreen was initially arrested by the Bariga Police Division, after which the case was transferred to the Gender Unit in Ikeja. ACVPN said the matter was later moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, following an alleged attempt by the suspect to strangle his Investigating Police Officer.
According to the organisation, Evergreen was described by investigators as a serial offender and a person of serious concern, leading to the takeover of the case by the D10 unit for further investigation and prosecution.
ACVPN further alleged that the suspect’s parents, said to be based in the United States, may be exerting influence on the case. The group claimed that the suspect’s father is a retired official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), while his mother, a professor, is a former lecturer at the University of Lagos.
The victim’s mother reportedly told ACVPN that police officers contacted the suspect’s parents abroad and began suggesting that Evergreen was mentally unstable. She alleged that officers recommended psychiatric treatment for him at the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital and went as far as asking her to pay ₦45,000 for his medical treatment—an instruction later reversed by the Lagos State Gender Unit.
The woman also accused officers at both the Gender Unit and SCID Panti of attempting to commercialise the case, alleging that financial interests were being prioritised over justice. She further claimed that Evergreen had previously assaulted her daughter in an earlier incident, during which a police officer allegedly collected ₦3 million to secure his release.
In the current case, the victim’s mother said she was pressured by her husband to accept a financial settlement from Evergreen’s family, allegedly to enable him fund a planned trip to Canada. She claimed that when she refused, her husband had her arrested.
ACVPN has called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Ministry of Justice and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions to intervene and ensure that justice is served. The group noted that the case comes at a time when Nigeria is observing the UN 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
While reports suggest that Evergreen is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment, ACVPN questioned the credibility of the claim, insisting that there were no signs of mental illness during the alleged abduction and assault.
“This situation is unacceptable and a mockery of justice. Justice delayed is justice denied,” the organisation said, stressing that no child deserves such treatment and that the case must be pursued to its logical conclusion.
