Calabar-  A coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have called on the Federal Government to take urgent action to combat the menace of child rape in the country.

A statement signed by the Advocacy Officer of Stepping Stones Nigeria (SSN), Dr Emilie Secker, and made available to journalists in Calabar, said they were worried by the increase in the cases.

She described the number of girls raped in the Niger Delta in the last six months as alarming.

The group said it had documented the cases as part of its Niger Delta Child Rights Watch (NDCRW) Project, which covers Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa and Rivers.

According to Secker, rape is an extremely serious criminal offence and one of the most hidden crimes in Nigeria.

“It is often left unreported because of the stigma and shame associated with the crime, and due to the lack of investigations being undertaken by the police.

“The Nigerian government must take responsibility for this heinous crime so that the girl child in Nigeria can be kept safe.”

Similarly, an official of the organisation in Port Harcourt, Mr Michael Gbarale, disclosed that within the period in focus, not less than 18 cases of rape were recorded in Port Harcourt alone.

He said the investigated 18 cases “include a girl of 13 who was raped by a group of boys, a man who sexually assaulted two sisters, aged six and three and a girl of 10 who was raped at gunpoint”.

Gbarale, however, lamented that only two of these 18 cases were charged to court.

He identified the absence of welfare services as a key problem, as it was necessary in providing medical care and counseling to victims.

Gbarale, therefore, called on the government to prioritize support for children who have suffered rape and to assist them in getting access to all necessary services.

On his part, the NDCRW officer in Calabar, Mrs Ese Edoja-Ibor, called for the establishment of Family Courts to try rape cases, ensure proper investigation and prosecution of offenders.

Other coalition partners are Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRC), Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), and Stepping Stones Nigeria Child Empowerment Foundation (SSNCEF). (NAN)