Two Security Guards Get Life Imprisonment for Raping 6-Year-Old Girl in Abuja

James Sule and Adamu Yau

Two Security Guards Get Life Imprisonment for Raping 6-Year-Old Girl in Abuja

Abuja, Nigeria – In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s fight against sexual violence, the Federal Capital Territory High Court has sentenced two private security guards to life imprisonment for the serial rape of a six-year-old girl in Abuja. The abuse lasted for six years, from 2016 until 2022, when the victim finally found the courage to speak out. The convicts, James Sule, 30, and Adamu Yau, 25, were found guilty of repeatedly assaulting the minor at their residence in Penthouse Estate, Lugbe, Abuja. The judgment was delivered by Justice S.M. Mayana of Court 46, Apo, following a diligent prosecution by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act, 2015. The court sentenced both men to life imprisonment without an option of a fine, a punishment NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Adamu-Bello, has described as “commensurate with the magnitude of the crime.”

According to a statement by NAPTIP’s Press and Public Relations Officer, Vincent Adekoye, the child sexual abuse case began as a routine household repair. The victim’s grandmother had hired James Sule, then a family security guard, to fix a faulty toilet. While the grandmother was busy in the kitchen, Sule allegedly lured the crying child into the toilet and raped her, threatening her with a knife to ensure her silence. Tragically, the abuse did not stop there. Sule later introduced two other guards—Adamu Yau and a third suspect, Muhammed, who is still at large—into the abuse. The men took turns assaulting the child, often after she returned from school but before her parents arrived home. They threatened to kill her and her entire family if she ever revealed their actions.

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The victim suffered in silence for years. However, her parents eventually noticed unusual behavioral changes—specifically, that she became visibly uncomfortable whenever Sule was around. Unable to explain her sudden fear, they took her to a prayer house, where she confided in a pastor that the three security guards had been sexually abusing her for years. The parents immediately reported the matter to the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) , which escalated the case to NAPTIP. The suspects were promptly arrested.

During the trial, which commenced on December 5, 2023, the prosecution presented an airtight case. The NAPTIP legal team called five witnesses, including the victim’s mother, and tendered seven exhibits. The most critical piece of evidence was a medical report confirming that the victim’s hymen had been breached. Both Sule and Yau pleaded not guilty when they were first arraigned on October 23, 2023. However, after a rigorous legal battle, Justice Mayana found them guilty on multiple counts under the VAPP Act.

Reacting to the judgment, NAPTIP Director-General Binta Adamu-Bello praised the judiciary and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing the VAPP Act across Nigeria. “I am excited that indeed, adequate justice, which is commensurate with the magnitude of the crime committed by the convicts, was duly served on them,” Adamu-Bello said. “This will go a long way to assuage the pain and traumatic experience of the victim and her family. It will no longer be business as usual for them.” She also issued a stern warning to parents, school owners, and estate managers, urging them to conduct strict background checks and due diligence on all service providers, including security guards, drivers, and babysitters, before employing them. The two convicted security guards have since been remanded to the Kuje Correctional Centre, where they will serve their life sentences. A third suspect, Muhammed, remains at large, and NAPTIP has vowed to track him down.