Abia State Convicts Two Men for Child Sexual Crimes

The Abia State Government has successfully convicted two men for child sexual offenses. They received sentences of 30 years and 10 years in prison for separate cases of defilement. This is seen as a big step in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in the state.

One offender is a 35-year-old man from Akwa Ibom State. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Family Court at the High Court in Umuahia for defiling a five-year-old girl. The other offender, a 32-year-old man, got 30 years for defiling a 13-year-old girl.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, announced this on Tuesday in Umuahia. He spoke to journalists after this week’s State Executive Council meeting led by Governor Alex Otti.

Kanu said these convictions show the government’s strong stand against sexual offenses. He warned that such actions will have serious consequences for anyone who commits them.

He also mentioned that these convictions are part of the achievements of the Nchedo Sexual Assault Referral Centre at the General Hospital, Aba.

“The centre has been providing medical, psychosocial, and referral services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence,” he stated.

The commissioner revealed that the center is currently working on two new cases. One involves a 60-year-old woman who was allegedly gang-raped. The other case is about a five-year-old girl who survived defilement.

Kanu added, “The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection is still working on the state’s social protection framework. They are identifying and supporting vulnerable people who need urgent medical and humanitarian help.”

On the convictions, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Ngozi Felix, said one of the convicts ran to Nasarawa State after the crime. But the police tracked him down and brought him back to Abia for trial.

Felix called this prosecution “one of the fastest recorded in Nigeria’s network of Sexual Assault Referral Centres.” She credited the quick result to teamwork among the Ministries of Health, Justice, Women Affairs, and Poverty Alleviation, along with the Nigeria Police Force.

She also praised the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, for his support during the investigation and trial of sexual violence cases.

Felix concluded by saying that Governor Alex Otti’s administration is dedicated to protecting vulnerable people and ensuring justice for survivors of sexual violence.