By Onuora Aninwobodo
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has achieved another breakthrough in its fight against sexual violence, as a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, presided over by Honourable Justice M Osho – Adebiyi, sentenced a 19-year-old teacher, Abdullahi Abbass working in one of the foremost schools located in Kwali, , to life imprisonment, without option of fine, for raping a 9-year-old pupil.
The landmark judgment which underscores the efforts of the present management of NAPTIP under the watch of the Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, as well as the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to protecting children from sexual abuse, came as a moral boost to the state and non – state actors in the implementation of the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP), 2015.
It would be recalled that as part of the renewed determination to tackle the emerging issues of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and rape in the Country, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, had recently strengthened the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Department of the Agency through capacity building for its Operatives, thereby leading to swift intervention and diligent prosecution of all cases.
The convict was the class teacher of the victim. On the 19th March 2025, after school hours, he sent another pupil to call the victim from their home. He thereafter took the victim down the street where he lived and raped the male victim through the anus.
The report indicated that despite the threat from the Convict, the victim reported the incident to his mother, which led to his arrest by the Police and the subsequent referral of the case to NAPTIP. The offence is punishable under Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
The Convict was arraigned on two-count charges bothering on rape and sexual abuse and subsequently convicted on 29th October, 2025.
Reacting to the development, Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, commended the Judiciary for the landmark judgment and the support of all partners in the prosecution of the case and the conviction of the offender.
She said, “This is a landmark judgment that carries the commensurable punishment for the offender. This will serve as a deterrent, and his name shall feature prominently in our Sex Offenders Register.
“I wish to say that the speedy investigation and arraignment of the Convict is a testimony to our renewed commitment and determination to tackle the incidence of domestic violence, rape, and other forms of sexual abuse in the Country.
“I thank the Judiciary for the judgment and the Nigeria Police for the inter-Agency collaboration on this case”.
