The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)has secured conviction and life imprisonment of two security Guards, James Sule (30) and Adamu Yau (25), based in Abuja, for sexually violating a six-year-old girl for a period of 6 years.
The convicts were handed life imprisonment, without the option of fine, by Hon. Justice S.M.Mayana of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court Abuja.
According to NAPTIP, A victim, name witheld (12 years old in 2022 when the case was reported, but only 6 years old at the time of the offence), recounted that in 2016 her grandmother asked the suspect, James who served as their family security guard at that time to repair a broken toilet in their residence at Penthouse Estate, Lugbe, Abuja. While her grandmother returned to the kitchen, Sule remained in the toilet.
According to her, she was crying on the bed in the room over a cello tape she had spoiled when Sule called her into the toilet. He assured her he would help prevent her grandmother from punishing her. He then locked the door, forcibly removed her pants, and raped her while covering her mouth. Afterwards, he brought out a knife and threatened her not to tell anyone.
NAPTIP says this marked the beginning of repeated sexual abuse, fear, pain, and trauma that continued for six years.
The agency says in a bid to share the ‘sexual pleasure’ with his friends, the convict, James Sule, later recruited two other guards in the Estate, Adamu Yau, who is the second Convict, and one Muhammed, now at large.
‘’Together, they had s#x with the victim whenever opportunities arose, threatening to kill and wipe out her entire family if she spoke to anyone about their act with her. The victim endured this traumatic abuse in silence for about six years. Over time, the victim’s parents noticed troubling changes in her behaviour. She became visibly agitated whenever Sule entered the house and refused to let him escort her to school or pick her up from the school bus.”
To get an explanation for the sudden, strange behaviour of the little girl, her parents took her to a prayer house where she confided in the Pastor that Sule, Yau, and Mohammed had been sexually abusing her, particularly whenever she returned from school before her parents arrived home.
‘’The parents immediately reported the matter to the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), which subsequently transferred the case to NAPTIP. The convicts were immediately arrested. Following further investigation, charges were filed in court on 9 February 2023. Sule and Yau were arraigned on 23 October 2023 on two counts under Section 1(1), punishable under Section 1(2), and Section 5 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015. Both pleaded not guilty, and the trial commenced on 5 December 2023.
The prosecution presented five witnesses, including the victim’s mother, who testified tearfully. Also, 7 Exhibits were tendered, including a medical report showing that the victim’s hymen was breached; all witnesses were cross-examined.” the agency said
Speaking on the conviction, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, lauded the judiciary for the landmark judgment, which she described as a clear warning to all offenders across the Country.
