Every week in Nigeria, another girl child loses her innocence , not to strangers in the dark, but to the trusted faces of fathers, teachers, neighbours, uncles and clerics. These are not isolated tragedies nor fate, they are the symptoms of a society failing its daughters and a lost a nation’s conscience.
The incidence of sexual assault on minors, especially girls, appears to be on the rise in Nigeria. Yet, in many cases, these reports fade away soon after reaching the police, even when arrests are made.
Under threats and stigma, these children retreat into silence, their trust shattered, their spirits scarred. Yet, within their quiet despair lies a plea , from a place of fear, broken trust, and trauma that detach them from the world around them , and a burning question that demands an answer: How long will we continue to look away?
Silenced by fear and shame, these young victims carry invisible wounds. Their whispers are cries for justice , whispers that echo through classrooms, homes, and pews, asking one unrelenting question: How long will we look away?
Disturbingly, the perpetrators are often those society expects to uphold moral and protective roles. These are the faces behind an inhuman act that continues to rob countless girl children of their innocence and dignity.
The rising wave of sexual assault on minors is not an abstract crisis , it plays out daily in real homes, real communities, and real lives. Will share some chilling examples and statistics that’ll expose the depth of the problem.
These horrifying statistics are not just numbers; they have names, faces, and stories. Across the country, several cases have drawn public outrage , yet they represent only a fraction of the countless assaults that never make the news.
For example, in January 2021, a 45-year-old pastor, Ndukwe Ogbu, was arrested by the police for raping his 14-year-old daughter in Lagos.
Ogbu was later arraigned before the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He faced charges bordering on sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration, and related offences, a chilling reminder that even those entrusted with moral guidance can become predators within their own homes.
Yet, cases like Ogbu’s are far from isolated. In 2022, the Ogun State Police Command arrested another pastor, 43-year-old Clinton John, for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in the Agbado area of Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun State.
These recurring cases of sexual violence against minors, particularly the girl child, expose glaring gaps in Nigeria’s systems of protection and justice. Each assault is not just a crime , it is a national failure demanding urgent government action to strengthen enforcement, survivor support, and accountability mechanisms.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, the victim’s family reported the alleged rape to the Agbado Divisional Police Station. Odutola explained that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to committing the crime.
She stated that the family had taken their daughter for repeated medical treatments due to recurring infections and noticed alarming behavioural changes which manifested in fearfulness and withdrawal that made them suspect she had been subjected to sexual abuse.
“But she had been concealing the identity of her abuser, requiring her parents’ persistent persuasion. She eventually confessed that John, a pastor of Mega Healing Ministry, had been sexually abusing her since November 2022.
“Their daughter further stated that the pastor threatened to kill her if she ever revealed the abuse to anyone,” the spokesperson added.
Tragically, such cases are not isolated. In 2024, the Adamawa State Police Command also arrested a 42-year-old man, Auwalu Shuaibu of Kabang in Mubi, for raping his nine-year-old daughter, mistakenly believing she was his wife. Shuaibu reportedly confessed to the crime upon returning from a joint.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Suleiman Ngurore, the suspect was arrested on March 11, 2024.
In his account, Auwalu Shuaibu confessed that he had defiled his daughter on that day, shortly after returning from a joint at Gizga. He said he had gone out with a friend, Bashiru, to supply welding materials, and that his friend had taken him to the joint, where they consumed a hot alcoholic drink known as whiskey.
He said that after drinking beer, his friend took him to a cattle market and bought some hard drugs, which he consumed.
He narrated that he returned home around 6:00 p.m. and slept off. When he woke up the next morning, he found his daughter naked beside him, mistakenly thinking she was his wife.
Tragically, such cases are not isolated. In July 2022, Jude Ohanenye, a pastor and member of the human rights group Behind Bars in Rivers State, was arrested for the alleged defilement of an eight-year-old girl.
Arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court on two counts of sexual abuse and defilement, Ohanenye faced charges for unlawfully touching and inserting his finger into the girl’s vagina — offences punishable under Section 32 (1)(2) of the Child Rights Act. He pleaded not guilty.
The charge read, “That you, Jude Ohanenye, on the 16th day of March 2022, at Eliozu, Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did unlawfully and sexually abused a girl of 8 years old by touching her vagina, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 32 (1) (2) of the Child Right Act, Cap. 50 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2003.
Again, in Rivers State, in September 2025, operatives of the state Police Command arrested a security guard identified simply as Godday over the alleged abduction and defilement of a 14-year-old girl in the Mothercat area of Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt.
According to reports, the suspect was apprehended by officers of the Trans-Amadi Police Division in collaboration with security personnel from a nearby bank, located adjacent to the scene of the crime.
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt about the incident, the mother of the teenage girl, who requested anonymity for fear of stigmatisation, recounted what happened.
The distraught woman said she suddenly fell ill and handed her daughter her Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card to withdraw some money, also giving her transport to make the trip easier.
She explained, “On Saturday, September 20, 2025, after 1:00 pm, I was not feeling well, so I sent my daughter to Mothercat to withdraw money using my ATM. I also gave her transport to and from the location so she wouldn’t waste time.”
“She withdrew money at one of the commercial banks in Mothercat and then took a Keke (tricycle) to Ordinance Junction to withdraw more. When I called her, she told me she was done.
“I waited for some time, but she didn’t return, and it was past the time she was supposed to be home. I became worried and called her phone, but she didn’t pick up. Later, when we were still searching for her, she answered in a low voice, saying she was on her way home
“When she returned, her clothes were soaked with water and blood, and there were bruises on her face, neck, and leg. Her left jaw and left eye were swollen, and she was extremely weak.
“First, we went to the Trans-Amadi Police Station and made an official report. Then we took her to the hospital for treatment. Once she regained some strength, we asked her what had happened.”
She explained that while withdrawing money at the bank in Ordinance, Trans-Amadi, a man was standing behind her. She assumed he had also come to use the ATM, but after she finished, she realized he had not gone to the machine.
“She then took another Keke and went to a different bank in Mothercat, also in Trans-Amadi. When she got out in front of the bank, she saw the same man who had been standing behind her earlier. He began dragging her in front of the bank, and despite her shouting, no one came to her rescue.
“The man dragged her to a bank where he is a security guard at the same Mothercat, dragged her inside, locked the gate, and raped her.”
The victim’s mother stated that during the attack, while her daughter was struggling, the man held her mouth and beat her until she lost consciousness., and then proceeded to rape.
She added that hours later, the man woke her up and ordered her to pack her belongings and leave.
So, we reported the case again to the bank where she had gone to withdraw money in Mothercat.”
According to her, “So, people went in search of the man and arrested him. When I counted the money my daughter was supposed to withdraw, N340,000 was missing.”
Fighting back tears, the mother lamented that her daughter had been robbed of her innocence in such a brutal manner, and she demanded a thorough investigation and justice.
In October 2025, the Rivers State Police Command yet again arrested a 17 year-old teenager accused of raping a 13 year-old female classmate of the Real Madrid Academy, Port Harcourt.
The suspect was handed over to the Police by the state Commissioner of Sports, Hon. Christopher Green, following tension over the safety of female children in the state government-owned facility.
The suspect allegedly hit the victim on the back, leading to a physical altercation, which resulted in the victim reportedly being overpowered and sexually assaulted.
Green, convened a meeting of parents of both the victim, the alleged offender and the management of the academy, before the 17-year-old was handed over to officers of the Elekahia Police Division in Port Harcourt for thorough investigation and possible prosecution.
For the chairperson of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Susan Serekara-Wikina, the rising incidence of sexual assault on minors is largely due to weak societal norms.
Serekara-Wikina said: “Over the years, NAWOJ has been clamouring for the death penalty to be imposed on perpetrators, especially in cases that result in the death of these minors. Yet, to date, nothing serious has been done to check these violators. They continue to go scot-free, multiplying in number and spreading their evil intentions across Nigeria.”
“I am also blaming our legal system, which is very weak on this issue. If there had been strong enforcement of laws such as the Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP), it would have served as a deterrent to other perpetrators wishing to commit such heinous crimes against our children, as even boys are not spared
“Over the years, NAWOJ has often advocated for a special desk and dedicated court to handle cases involving minors, especially girls, so that justice is not delayed. Delays often lead to corruption and, ultimately, the stigmatization of victims, which sometimes prevents them from coming forward to speak out.”
“Today, NAWOJ Rivers State is commending the Rivers State government for domesticating the Child Rights Act and the VAPP laws. The association is also advocating that the government, through the Ministry of Education, include comprehensive sex education in school curricula. Additionally, they urge that teachers be assigned to classes appropriate for the age of the children, as the lack of adequate sex education in schools contributes to the rising cases of sexual assault on minors.”
“Also parents should sing it as a song to their children that they should never allow anyone to touch their private parts and other teachings relating to sex education.
Cultural Silence and Stigma: Many families due to fear and shame will suddenly turned us, advocating for justice for them down and settle their cases out of court quietly without informing us about their recent decision and before you know it it will reoccur in the same family cycle or on the same victims.
“All we are saying is that there should be strong Support Systems where those victims that boldly spoke out will fall back on like enough shelters, counselors and victim protection. All we have as NAWOJ in Rivers State is to continue to amplify advocacy and media campaigns. Also we intend to collaborate with other NGOs for outreaches as well Push for Policy Reforms, Lobby for faster trials, harsher penalties to perpetrators.”
“Parents should also make it a routine to teach their children , like singing it as a song , that they should never allow anyone to touch their private parts, alongside other lessons related to sex education.
“Cultural Silence And Stigma: Many families, due to fear and shame, often settle cases quietly out of court without informing us of their decision. This silence allows the abuse to recur within the same family or even affect the same victims again.
“All we are saying is that there should be strong support systems for victims who bravely speak out—such as sufficient shelters, counselors, and victim protection services. At NAWOJ Rivers State, our role is to continue amplifying advocacy and media campaigns. We also plan to collaborate with other NGOs for outreach programs, push for policy reforms, lobby for faster trials, and advocate for harsher penalties for perpetrators.”
However, the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice appears to be collaborating with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to publish the names of individuals already convicted of sexual abuse.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend, FIDA’s Rivers State chairperson, Tamunoibuemi Life-George, noted that many families fail to see rape cases involving their children through to conclusion due to poverty.
Life-George said: “When you hear about sexual harassment, many thoughts come to mind. Children are being harassed, girls, and even boys. It is no longer a secret. But what can we do? The law is the tool we have to fight for the protection and promotion of the rights of the vulnerable.”
“So, we have a slogan in FIDA that says: ‘Whenever you see something, say something.’ Sexual harassment is so pervasive that no one is exempt, the uncle in the house, the father of the girl, the father of the boy, even the mother of the boy. Children are harassed physically, emotionally, and abused in every form.
“Once we receive a report, we ensure that, in partnership with the police, investigations are conducted. Suspects are arrested, and all preliminary procedures are followed. When a prima facie case is established, it is taken to court. That is why we have family courts within the Magistrate and High Court jurisdictions, and I can assure you, a lot of convictions are taking place.”
“I was with the DPP the other day, and she assured me that the offenders’ register the official record containing the names of all those convicted for sexual offences in Rivers State will be published very soon.
“We cannot wait for it to be released because many offenders quietly return home after court rulings, thinking no one knows, and the cases are dealt with internally. We intend to name and shame them. That is the purpose of coming together. We are doing a lot, but there is still much more to be done, and we need your support to achieve it.”
“Poverty fuels the cycle of crime. Here in Rivers State, victims often tell us, ‘Ma, my pastor said this, my bishop said that, I slept and dreamed it,’ or complain that the family of the accused is threatening them. They say if they go to FIDA or the Police again, they will face consequences.”
These cases are not isolated. They expose a horrifying reality: the very people entrusted with nurturing and protecting children sometimes become their most dangerous predators. Each assault is a wound not only on the victim but on a society that continues to fail its most vulnerable.
The silence surrounding sexual abuse of minors must end. Stronger enforcement of child protection laws, swifter prosecution of offenders, and comprehensive support for survivors are urgently needed. Every hidden wound demands justice , and every abuser must be held accountable. How long will we continue to look away?
