Two security guards have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal Capital Territory 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 Justice S.M. Mayana at High Court 46 in 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.
Details of the Crime
A statement signed by 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, 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.
Discovery and Prosecution
The abuse was eventually uncovered after the victim's parents noticed a drastic change in her behavior, 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 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.
Reaction from NAPTIP
Reacting to the judgment, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, hailed the verdict as a landmark victory for justice. Bello expressed excitement that adequate justice, commensurate with the magnitude of the crime committed by the convicts, was duly served on them. She noted that this would go a long way to assuage the pain and traumatic experience of the victim and her family.
The DG pointed out that the conviction was a result of improved strategies to enforce the VAPP Act. She issued a stern warning to service providers, stating that it would no longer be business as usual for them. Bello also urged the public to exercise greater caution when hiring domestic staff. She appealed 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.
Victim's Family and Sentencing
The victim's mother expressed gratitude to NAPTIP and its legal team for ensuring that justice was served on the violators of her daughter. The two convicts have been transferred to Kuje Correctional Centre, where they are set to serve their life sentences.
