The General Overseer of The Rescued Apostolic Ministry, Rev. Oladotun Bankole, has called for responsible parenting to curtail the increase in incidences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases, sexual and drug abuses across the country.

The clergyman made the call during an interview with the Newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

According to him, the manner at which parents these days pursue livelihood is at the expense of the attention they need to give their children and wards, morally and spiritually.

“The lack of good parenting and the lapses of early spiritual teachings for the fear of God in our children have paved the way for many children and youths, through peer pressures, to become perpetrators or victims of SGBV, drug addictions, and abuse today.

“This lapse also has led to many children and youths into exploiting the internet and getting into condemnable sites that they should not have visited,” the clergyman said.

He urged parents too, henceforth, limit the time their children spent on the internet.

He said that most people that committed SGBV related crimes lacked the fear of God and proper upbringing.

“Many rapists committed the act under the influence of hard drugs; therapists use the drugs as an enabler.

“A rapist must be under some sort of influence, especially, when it involves the raping of a minor.

“Nigeria needs the collaborative efforts of all critical stakeholders to win the war against SGBV, drug trafficking, and abuse.

“In this war, parents, churches, mosques, schools, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), traditional rulers and market leaders must preach and fight against these vices that are becoming too rampant and alarming,” he said.