Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Raping 11-Year-Old Girl

A high court in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl.

The convict, Endurance Sandy, 41, was sentenced on Tuesday by Judge Blessings Egwu, a Family Court judge.

The news was shared by James Ibor, a lawyer and co-founder of a rights group called Basic Rights Council Initiatives (BRCI), in a post on Facebook.

Mr Ibor thanked the Nigerian Army and others involved in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

"We express our sincere appreciation to the Nigerian Army (13 Brigade, Calabar), the Nigeria Police Force, Cross River State, the Attorney General of Cross River State, Ededem Ani, and the volunteers of the Basic Rights Council Initiative for the invaluable support they provided to the investigators and the child throughout the course of this case. A big thank you to Okoi Ukam, Esq., and Mrs Linda Asuquo," Mr Ibor wrote.

Details of the Case

In a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, Mr Ibor shared more details about the conviction. He said Justice Egwu announced the judgement on Tuesday in a case that started in 2021.

He mentioned that there was no known relationship between the convict and the survivor, apart from living in the same area.

The incident happened while the girl was running an errand. Mr Ibor said the convict, who also lived nearby, approached her and asked her to buy something for him.

"When the girl went to help him buy something, he gave her a drink. The girl later found herself in the early hours of the next day in his house after taking the drink. She also realized that she had been sexually molested," he explained.

Mr Ibor said the victim's parents later searched for her and reached out to soldiers stationed at a nearby military post.

A Growing Concern

This case marks the third life imprisonment sentence reported in the state in three consecutive months.

Last month, a 27-year-old man was convicted for dragging a minor into an uncompleted building where he and an accomplice raped her.

In April, this newspaper reported that a court in the state sentenced a 46-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his daughter.