Anambra Court Sentences Final-Year Student to 35 Years for Sexual Abuse of 10-Year-Old
The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court in Awka, Anambra State, has sentenced a 27-year-old final-year Mass Communication student, Wisdom Edem, to 35 years in prison for the sexual abuse and exploitation of a 10-year-old girl.
Justice Peace Otti convicted Edem on three counts relating to defilement, sexual abuse and exploitation, and physical injury inflicted on the child. The sentences were handed down concurrently.
The case was prosecuted under the Child’s Rights Law of Anambra State, 2004, and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, 2017. The prosecution presented six witnesses and several exhibits, including the defendant’s statement and medical evidence.
The court heard that Edem allegedly invited the child to his residence under the guise of featuring her in a comedy skit. He reportedly sent her younger sister on an errand before locking the child in a room.
Justice Otti rejected the argument that the child had consented, emphasising that Nigerian law does not recognise a child’s consent to sexual intercourse.
The court’s decision also included measures aimed at accountability and protection. Edem was ordered to pay N200,000 compensation to the affected child and have his name entered in the Anambra State Sex Offenders’ Register.
However, Edem was absent when judgment was delivered. The court consequently issued a bench warrant for his arrest and ordered that he be declared wanted, with his photographs circulated to aid his apprehension.
The ruling also directed his university to withhold his certificate until he completes his sentence, reinforcing the importance of accountability in protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
