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By Lizzy Chirkpi
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a 19-year-old school teacher, Abdullahi Abbass, to life imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old pupil in the Kwali Area Council of the FCT.
Justice Osho Adebiyi, who delivered the judgment, found Abbass guilty of violating Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the National Press Officer of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Vincent Adekoye, the agency described the ruling as “another major breakthrough in the fight against sexual violence in Nigeria.”
According to the statement, Abbass was employed as a class teacher in one of the notable schools in Kwali, where the victim was his pupil. On March 19, 2025, after school hours, the convict reportedly sent another student to call the nine-year-old from home.
He allegedly lured the boy to a nearby street and forcefully violated him. Despite being threatened by the teacher, the victim disclosed the assault to his mother, prompting his arrest by the police. The case was later transferred to NAPTIP for prosecution.
Abbass was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on rape and sexual abuse. The court convicted him on October 29, 2025, and handed him a life sentence.
Reacting to the judgment, NAPTIP Director General, Prof. Binta Bello, hailed the court’s decision as a major victory in the agency’s campaign against sexual and gender-based violence.
She said, “This is a landmark judgment that carries the commensurate punishment for the offender. It will serve as a deterrent, and his name shall feature prominently in our Sex Offenders Register.”
Prof. Bello also praised the swift handling of the case by law enforcement and the judiciary, noting that it reflects NAPTIP’s renewed commitment to justice for victims.
“The speedy investigation and arraignment of the convict is a testimony to our determination to tackle incidents of domestic violence, rape, and other forms of sexual abuse in the country. I thank the judiciary for this judgment and the Nigeria Police for their inter-agency collaboration,” she added.