The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, has secured the conviction of one Laminu Ahmed, 36, for the rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in a judgment delivered sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The trial judge held that the prosecutor from the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice headed by Mrs Yewande Awopetu successfully proved the case.

The convict had on 3rd January 2023 asked the victim (name withheld) to bring him a plate of food from the food her mother was selling at the Zuba Fruit Market, Abuja and lured her to follow him with the food to a public bathroom in the market.

He locked the door as soon as she entered and proceeded to sexually abuse and rape her by forcefully kissing her, inserting his forefinger into her vagina and then his penis and raped her.

He clamped his hands over her mouth when she attempted to scream and threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone. Nevertheless, the little girl was brave enough to tell her mother about the rape on her return.

The mother had gone out to attend a friend’s naming ceremony when the incident occurred. She and the father had immediately reported the matter to the local vigilante who arrested the defendant and handed him over to the Police.

The defendant confessed to the crime at the Police Station in Zuba and at the FCT Command where the matter was later transferred.

The defendant was charged to court by Prosecution Counsel from the SGBV Response Unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice (representing the AGF), on an eight-count charge for the offences of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and sexual abuse under the Child Rights Act; Rape, Intimidation and Infliction of bodily injury under the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) 2015; and Criminal force under the Penal Code.

However, the defendant upon arraignment in June 2023 pleaded not guilty to all eight counts.

The prosecution opened its case against the defendant, called witnesses and tendered evidence including the defendant’s confessional statement and confessional video, medical report and report of investigation as well as the statements of the victim and her mother to the police as proof of investigation.

Despite Laminu’s futile attempts to deny making the confessional statement and his claim that he was forced to confess, the prosecution succeeded in proving its case against him and he was convicted and sentenced for the heinous crime he committed against the seven-year-old survivor.

Awopetu described it as a win for the Justice Sector particularly the SGBV Response Unit in conjunction with the Gender Unit of the FCT Police Command and the FCT Judiciary, in their fight against the scourge of sexual violence in our society.

“It is also a warning to would-be perpetrators that the long arm of the law will definitely catch up with them. A key lesson for parents in this case is never to leave their kids unattended in a public place.

“Laminu Ahmed’s name will be included in the Sexual Offender’s Register as is required by law,” she said.