A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 19-year-old school teacher, Abdullahi Abbass, to life imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old pupil in Kwali Area Council.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) announced the judgement in a statement signed on Saturday by its national press officer, Vincent Adekoye.
According to NAPTIP, Abbass was a class teacher at a school in Kwali.
On March 19, he sent another pupil to call the victim from home after school hours and took him to his residence, where he committed the act.
The victim later informed his mother, leading to Abbass’ arrest by the police and the referral of the case to NAPTIP.
The statement said, “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.”
Abbass was arraigned on two counts of defilement and sexual abuse under Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and was convicted on October 29.
Reacting to the development, director-general of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, said the judgement reflected the agency’s effort to address sexual offences.
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, defilement, and other forms of sexual abuse in the country,” she added.
Bello also commended the Police and the judiciary for their collaboration in the case.
“I thank the Judiciary for the judgment and the Nigeria Police for the inter-agency collaboration on this case,” she said.
