The women’s affairs and social development ministry in Ogun says the TikToker Abigail Nsuka, aka Mirabel, who falsely claimed she was raped, is still undergoing rehabilitation.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Adebimpe Foluso Obienu, disclosed this to the Peoples Gazette on Monday when asked for an update on the case.

Ms Obienu stated, “Like every girl under us, she (Mirabel) is properly being taken care of psychologically and physically.”

The permanent secretary, however, said the ministry was awaiting legal advice from the justice ministry on Ms Nsuka’s case.

“For any allegation, the ministry of justice must render legal action after police investigation for necessary action. For many children like that, we’ll put them in our office so that we can easily provide them when they are needed in court,” the official explained.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s former commissioner, Motunrayo Adeleye-Oladapo, told The Gazette that Ms Nsuka’s false rape alarm was driven by her past experiences.

Ms Adeleye-Oladapo, who was the commissioner when the ministry took custody of Ms Nsuka, added that the girl was scheduled to sit O-Level exams before enrolling in university.

“The girl has been with the ministry. She is currently undergoing lessons because she is meant to write her examinations. The plan is for her to return to school. She had already written WAEC but didn’t have all the results.

“With what I saw, she is intelligent. I have no doubt that, with the ministry’s support, she will make her papers so that she can go to a higher institution. It was discovered that she did what she did then because of her past experiences. She is an orphan,” the ex-commissioner told The Gazette.

The development came months after the police command in Ogun released Ms Nsuka to the ministry for necessary care and support.

The TikToker had, in a viral video, alleged she was sexually assaulted in her apartment, prompting an investigation from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and the Ogun State police command.

Ms Nsuka later admitted her allegation was false, saying she has been battling panic attacks, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.

Meanwhile, the police, in an advisory issued at that time, warned that giving false information to authorities or circulating false reports on social media is a criminal offence under Nigerian law.

The advisory cited the Nigerian Criminal Code Act and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, noting that offenders might face imprisonment, fines, or both.

The command restated that spreading false information wastes government resources, obstructs investigations, and creates unnecessary panic, urging the public to verify facts before sharing online.