The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has secured a life imprisonment sentence against a 19-year-old teacher, Abdullahi Abbass, for the rape of a nine-year-old male pupil in Abuja.
The sentence, handed down by Honorable Justice M. Osho–Adebiyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, came without an option of fine and underscores the nation’s commitment to protecting children from sexual abuse.

Abbass, a teacher at a school in Kwali, was convicted on October 29, 2025, on a two-count charge bothering on rape and sexual abuse, an offense punishable under Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP), 2015.

According to NAPTIP, the convict was the victim’s class teacher.

On March 19, 2025, after school hours, Abbass sent another pupil to call the victim from his home.

He subsequently took the victim down the street where he lived and raped the boy through the anus.

The victim, despite threats from Abbass, reported the incident to his mother, which led to the teacher’s arrest by the Police and the subsequent referral of the case to NAPTIP for diligent prosecution.

Reacting to the judgment, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, commended the Judiciary and acknowledged the support of partners in the case.

Former Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Eze Chikamnayo, has claimed that Governor Alex Otti is diverting local government funds.

Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television, Chikamnayo stated that the governor has hindered the development of the local government, making it impossible for it to operate effectively.

According to him, “Unfortunately, in Abia, what we have today is that Alex Otti has mopped up the entire funds going to the local governments. He has made sure that the grassroots development is completely, you know, grounded. And he has made it impossible for the local governments to operate and to breathe.”

He also dismissed claims that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu,

He further stated that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, only demanded accountability from the governor and was not in any political conflict with him.

“There is no personal issue between Honourable Benjamin Kalu and our dear Governor Alex Otti. But all we are saying, all I’m saying, all Ben Kalu is saying, every member of the Abia community, APC is saying is, Governor Alex Otti, practice what you preach,” Chikamnayo said.

He insisted that what is in the best interest of Abia is “transparency and accountability,” noting that Kalu’s call was justified considering the amount of money available to the state.

“What is in the best interest of Abia is transparency and accountability. And what Honorable Benjamin Kalu asks for is, we know that a lot of money has gone to the states, not just Abia, but to every state. And we know that President Tinubu has done exceptionally well. He has done what Napoleon could not do. He has freed resources. And we know that because of these resources that President Tinubu has given to the states, a lot more is expected of the governors.”

Chikamnayo argued that good governance cannot be judged by rhetoric but by tangible development outcomes. “You cannot say a governor is doing very well based on slogans alone. You can only say a governor is doing very well when you put side by side the resources available to the governor and the deliverables that the governor is able to show to the people. So, when the resources are not, you know, pairing up, you know, are not balancing with the deliverables, every citizen has a right to ask questions, not just in Abia, but across the nation.”

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has faulted claims by the United States that Christians are being targeted for genocide in Nigeria, insisting that “Muslim lives matter too.”

Onanuga made the remark on Saturday in response to a post on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) by U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who commented on President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians.

Rubio had described the “ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria by radical Islamists and Fulani ethnic militias” as “tragic and unacceptable.”

As @POTUS said, the United States stands ready, willing, and able to act,” Rubio added.

He stated, “There is no ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria. What we do have are sporadic attacks on some villages by bandits and terrorists, and the attacks are religiously insensitive.

“Christians, Muslims, churches, and mosques are attacked randomly.”

The presidential aide stressed that Nigeria does not need to be placed on a watchlist but rather requires strategic military support to combat violent extremists operating in certain parts of the country

Responding to Rubio’s post, Onanuga dismissed the claims as “gross exaggerations” and urged the U.S. to approach Nigeria’s security challenges with objectivity rather than religious bias.

“Secretary Rubio, Muslim lives matter too,” he wrote.

He clarified that the wave of insecurity across Nigeria was driven by terrorism and criminality, not by religion.

“What our country requires from America is military support to fight these violent extremists in some states of our country, not designation as a nation of particular concern,” Onanuga stated.