On Thursday, police in Lakes State reported that a 16-year-old girl committed suicide after allegedly having a dispute with her mother.

The young life, cut short by her own hand, is a devastating loss that reflects deep-rooted issues within the society, especially in Lakes State, that can no longer be ignored.

According to the police investigation, the girl took her own life by hanging after being allegedly “tortured” by her mother for refusing to perform her household chores.

However, the police stated that the mother’s actions were rooted in cultural norms around discipline.

The incident lays the urgent need to re-evaluate our attitudes and practices when it comes to child-rearing and family dynamics.

While respect for cultural traditions is important, we must also recognize when those traditions have become harmful and must evolve.  Verbal, emotional, and physical abuse of children, even if implied as “discipline,” is unacceptable and contributes to lasting trauma.

This calls for mental health awareness and support services within our communities. If the young girl had access to the resources and guidance she needed to cope with the stresses in her life, perhaps this tragedy could have been averted.

We must do more about mental well-being and ensure that all citizens, especially the most vulnerable, have a safe space to seek help.

Lakes State authorities have promised a thorough investigation into this case, but investigation alone is not enough. There is a need for concrete policy changes and a shift in mindsets to protect our children and prevent such devastating losses in the future.

No family should have to endure the pain of losing a child in this way and no child should ever feel so hopeless, so alone, that the only escape is to end their own life.