By Pius Awunah
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured the conviction of a 19-year-old teacher Abdullahi Abbass to life imprisonment for raping a nine-year old male pupil in a school in the Kwali Area Council of Abuja.
The conviction followed a suit by NAPTIP filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice M. Osho – Adebiyi, which sentenced the convict to life imprisonment, without an option of fine.
“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,” a statement by the NAPTIP signed by its National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye read.
It noted that the move is part of the determination to “tackle the emerging issues of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and rape in the country.”
Narrating how the incident occurred, it stated that, “On March 19, 2025, after school hours, the teacher 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 a threat by 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.”
He was arraigned on two-count charges bothering on “rape and sexual abuse and subsequently convicted on October 29,2025.
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 Force (NPF) for the inter-Agency collaboration on this case”, Binta Adamu Bello said.
