Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has condemned the alleged intimidation of a Nigerian mother reportedly facing threats after raising concerns about a children’s storybook containing graphic depictions of cruelty.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central described the reported threats as unacceptable and called for immediate intervention to protect the woman.
“My attention has been drawn to a distressed woman reportedly being threatened over concerns she raised about a children’s storybook containing graphic cruelty,” Akpoti-Uduaghan said.
She emphasised that materials designed for children must be carefully curated to avoid exposing young minds to disturbing or harmful themes. “Content intended for children must never be distressing, confusing, or inadvertently normalize violence… especially toward animals. Safeguarding young minds is a shared responsibility,” she added.
The senator defended the rights of parents to scrutinize educational and recreational materials accessible to their children, urging stakeholders in the education and publishing sectors to act responsibly.
“Parents have every right to question and vet the materials their children are exposed to. Likewise, publishers and business owners must remain open to feedback, while the Ministry of Education and its agencies must be proactive in ensuring that all educational materials meet appropriate standards,” she stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan further called for accountability, stressing that intimidation tactics against concerned citizens would not be tolerated. “Threats or intimidation over such concerns are unacceptable,” she said.
The controversy began when a Nigerian mother posted a viral video questioning the content of a children’s book, which she said described an old man punishing a dog by burning its nose with a hot iron after it failed to guard meat. She said she was later called to delete the post and complied, but alleged that threats continued and that people close to her had been detained for questioning.
“I’m not doing this thing for trend. I’m not doing it for content,” she said. “Because now, they are threatening me, they are threatening my family, everybody that is close to me, they are picking them up one by one.”
The senator requested to be connected to the distressed woman immediately so the matter can be properly addressed.
