Two Abuja security guards sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually abusing six-year-old girl

Two Abuja security guards sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually abusing six-year-pld girl

*ABUJA* – The Federal Capital Territory High Court 46 in Apo has sentenced two security guards, James Sule, 30, and Adamu Yau, 25, to life imprisonment for repeatedly sexually abusing a six-year-old girl in Abuja.

Justice S.M. Mayana delivered the judgment on Friday without an option of fine. The convicts were prosecuted by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act.

According to NAPTIP spokesperson Vincent Adekoye, the abuse began in 2016 after the victim’s grandmother hired Sule, then working as the family’s guard, to repair a toilet at their Lugbe residence. The agency said Sule lured the child into the toilet, assaulted her and threatened her with a knife to keep her silent.

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NAPTIP alleged the abuse continued for about six years and later involved Yau and another guard, Muhammed, who remains at large. The suspects reportedly threatened to kill the victim and her family if she spoke out.

The matter came to light after the victim’s parents noticed changes in her behavior and took her to a prayer house, where she told a pastor about the abuse. The case was reported to the Association for Reproductive and Family Health before being transferred to NAPTIP.

During the trial, which began in December 2023, the prosecution presented five witnesses and seven exhibits, including a medical report confirming the victim’s injuries. Sule and Yau were arrested and arraigned in October 2023.

NAPTIP Director-General Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello described the verdict as a warning to offenders and urged parents to conduct background checks on domestic workers and service providers.

Both convicts have been transferred to Kuje Correctional Centre to begin their sentences.