Two security guards have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for the repeated rape of a young girl over a six year period.

The convicts, James Sule 30, and Adamu Yau 25, were convicted by Honourable Justice S.M. Mayana at High Court 46 Apo, following a prosecution by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The sentencing, delivered without the option of a fine, was carried out under the provisions of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
A statement signed by the NAPTIP Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, revealed that the case, which first came to light in 2022, detailed a harrowing ordeal that began in 2016 when the victim was just six years old.

The court heard that Sule, then the family’s security guard at an estate in Lugbe, first assaulted the child in a toilet after offering to protect her from being disciplined by her grandmother. He subsequently used a knife to threaten the child into silence.

Over the following years, Sule recruited two other guards, the second convict, Yau, and another individual named Muhammed, who remains at large to participate in the abuse.

The men reportedly threatened to wipe out the victim’s entire family if she disclosed the assaults.

The agency said that the abuse was eventually uncovered after the victim’s parents noticed a drastic change in her behaviour, including extreme agitation in Sule’s presence.

Following a disclosure to a local pastor, the matter was reported to the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) and subsequently transferred to NAPTIP.

The prosecution presented five witnesses, including the victim’s mother, and tendered seven exhibits, including medical evidence confirming the physical trauma suffered by the child.

Despite pleading not guilty during their arraignment in October 2023, both men were found guilty of the charges.

Reacting to the judgment, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, hailed the verdict as a landmark victory for justice.

Bello expressed excitement “that indeed adequate justice which, is commensurate with the magnitude of the crime committed by the convicts, was duly served on them.

“This will go a long way to assuage the pain and traumatic experience of the victim and her family.”

The DG pointed that the conviction was a result of improved strategies to enforce the VAPP Act.
She issued a stern warning to service providers, saying “It will no longer be business as usual for them.”

Bello also urged the public to exercise greater caution when hiring domestic staff.
“I also want to use this medium to appeal again to all Nigerians, especially parents and school owners, to ensure they carry out due diligence and strict profiling on any service providers including drivers, security guards, and babysitters before employing them,” she said.

The victim’s mother expressed gratitude to NAPTIP and its legal team for ensuring that justice is served on the violators of her daughter.

The two convicts have been transferred to Kuje Correctional Centre, where they are set to serve their sentences.