***Rights Group Demands Justice, Governor’s Immediate Intervention
In a case that has shaken the conscience of the nation, a four-year-old orphan named Ukasha is recovering from horrific injuries after being brutally beaten by his guardian, Mai-Naira Abdullahi, for the simple joy of dancing.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday, April 12th, in the Galafima Phase II area of Tudun Amber, Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sparked national outrage and renewed calls for the protection of vulnerable children.
Ukasha, who lives with Abdullahi following the death of his parents, had joined neighbourhood children and women to dance at a naming ceremony. Enraged by what he considered a “violation” of his beliefs, Abdullahi allegedly dragged the boy home and flogged him mercilessly, leaving him with deep, raw wounds across his back, face, stomach and sides.
When asked what he did wrong, the child whispered, “I danced.”
According to eyewitnesses, the injuries were so severe that blood was still visible days later. He received no medical care or pain relief.
The Men Against Rape Foundation (MARF), a leading rights advocacy group, condemned the attack in the strongest terms, describing it as “torture, not discipline.”
“This is a crime bordering on attempted murder,” said Dr. Lemmy Ughegbe, Executive Director of MARF, in a joint statement with Dr. Augustine Eigbe. “This child was brutalised for expressing joy. How many more Ukashas must suffer before we act?”
The group called on Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, to immediately intervene, ensure Ukasha’s rescue, and bring his abuser to justice. They also decried a wider pattern of violence in the state, recalling a recent case where a student was allegedly flogged to death in an Islamic school—without consequence.
“This impunity must stop. We cannot cloak abuse in the language of culture or religion,” MARF said. “Protecting children is not optional—it is the mark of a just society.”
They also urged the National Human Rights Commission and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to take up Ukasha’s case as a priority and called on civil society to raise their voices until justice is served.
For now, little Ukasha remains in pain, nursing scars that may never fully heal. But the call is growing louder: no child should suffer for dancing.