A Nigerian woman has urged parents to be more vigilant about the people they allow into their homes after recounting an alleged childhood sexual abuse that she said lasted for four years.
The woman, speaking during an interview, said she was only five years old in 2009 when her parents brought a man who played the keyboard at their church to live in their home.
According to her account, the man allegedly abused her repeatedly and threatened her with a knife after she initially confided in her seven-year-old brother.
She said the alleged abuse continued until she was nine, when the man eventually left the family home.
The woman revealed that her parents did not learn about the alleged abuse until 2020, when her brother disclosed during a family devotion that she had also been subjected to abuse.
She recalled the emotional reaction of her mother, saying it was the first time she had seen her mother cry so deeply.
Despite the experience, the woman said she has gradually recovered, although hearing the alleged perpetrator’s name can still trigger fear.
She further claimed that the man currently resides in Ibadan and is now a pastor.
Reflecting on her experience, she warned parents against assuming that people they know through religious, social or family circles are automatically safe around children.
