Two security guards have been sentenced to life imprisonment for repeatedly sexually abusing a minor in Abuja over six years.
James Sule, 30, and Adamu Yau, 25, were convicted by Justice S.M. Mayana of the FCT High Court under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act. The court ruled there was no option of a fine.
Prosecutors said the abuse began in 2016 at the family’s Lugbe home when Sule, then the family’s guard, lured the 6-year-old into a toilet after she broke a household item. He allegedly threatened her into silence, and the abuse continued for years. Court records show he later brought in Yau and a third suspect, identified only as Mohammed, who is still at large.
The victim kept quiet until her parents noticed behavioral changes. She became fearful around the guards and refused to let them escort her to school. The abuse came to light after she disclosed it to a pastor at a prayer house. The case was reported to NAPTIP through the Association for Reproductive and Family Health.
NAPTIP arrested the suspects in 2023 and charged them earlier that year. During trial, prosecutors presented five witnesses and seven exhibits, including medical evidence.
NAPTIP DG Binta Bello called the ruling a signal that offenders will face severe consequences. She urged parents, schools, and employers to run background checks on domestic staff, drivers, guards, and tutors.
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The victim’s mother thanked NAPTIP and the prosecution team for seeing the case through. Both convicts have been moved to Kuje Correctional Centre to begin their sentences. Efforts to arrest the third suspect are ongoing.
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