Cases of minors sexually assaulted by clerics, teachers on the increase
• How parents can prevent minors from sexual predators, by psychologist, pastors
By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
Child sexual abuse is a significant public health problem and an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Child sexual abuse refers to the involvement of a child (person less than 18 years old) in sexual activity that violates the laws or social taboos of a society. These are acts that he/she does not fully comprehend, does not consent to, or is unable to give informed consent to or is not developmentally prepared for and cannot give consent to.
Incidents of child abuse become all the more shocking and horror-inducing when they are perpetrated by Christian or Muslim clerics, people that are revered and seen as men of God by the society.
In the not too distant past, Nigerians have been shocked by reports of child abuse or outright rape by supposed men of God.
There have also been cases of rape on minors perpetrated by their teachers.
In January this year, a pastor was sentenced to life in prison in Lagos for raping and impregnating his underage in-law. The pastor, also a businessman, was accused of and convicted for raping and impregnating the 14-year-old girl.
The cleric, 38-year-old Ofure Rey Siakpere was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2023 by an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court. He was 35 at the time he committed the offence around March 2018 at his residence located at No. 10, Salaudeen Imam Street, Lagos. In court, the minor recalled being overpowered and defiled at least 15 times by Siakpere who is married to her aunt. Ofure Siakpere, who may now spend the rest of his life in jail, was quite active on Twitter before he was charged to court and jailed for rape.
His Twitter bio speaks of his love for God. He had the hashtag #God-fearingteam and “Jesus Christ” boldly displayed on his Twitter account.
In his pinned tweet, he advised men who place relevance on women, money and power to “keep it checked today”.
Despite the minor’s testimony in court, the convict and his wife countered the minor’s claim and the convict continued to maintain his innocence. However, Justice Abiola Soladoye ruled that the prosecution proved their case beyond any reasonable doubt and also brought in witnesses who gave “compelling and convincing” accounts.
Asides being sentenced to life imprisonment with no option of fine, the convict’s name will also be registered in the Sex Offenders Register of Lagos State government.
There was also the case of some nursery school teachers who sexually assaulted a six-year-old pupil. The female child was a pupil at a private school at highbrow Rijiyar Zaki Quarters of Kano State.
The mother of the victim told journalists that she had taken her daughter to school that Thursday morning. When she returned later that afternoon, at about 1pm, she was told that her daughter had fallen sick. According to the mother, “a female staff informed me that she was sick and could not even stand on her feet.”
The young girl was then rushed to the Imam Wali Hospital, near her school, but was then referred to the general hospital due to physical damage to her private parts.
At Murtala Muhammad General Hospital the mother was informed that, due to the seriousness of injury inflicted on her daughter, a police officer or Hisbah official must be informed. The official and medical professionals then told the mother that her daughter was in urgent need of medical attention because of the severity of her rape.
When the little girl regained consciousness at the hospital, she told those present that it was “Uncle Bello and Uncle Sulaiman” in the morning who had told her to lie down and bring something out of their trousers and “put it here,” referring to her private parts.
The parents of the victim said they had reported the incident to the Divisional Police Office of Rijiyar Zaki Quarters for further investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the unfortunate development.
Another incident was a rape case involving a 43-year-old Islamic cleric, one Alfa Abdulsalam Salaudeen, who reportedly raped a five-year-old girl inside a mosque in Nigeria.
The prosecutor, T. Olanrewaju-Dawodu, told the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court that Salaudeen committed the offence on December 22, 2018, in a mosque in the Igando area of Lagos.
Justice Abiola Soladoye, who obliged the prosecutor’s request for the remand, adjourned the case until October 14 for trial. It was gathered that the victim was under his tutelage.
Ms. Olanrewaju-Dawodu said Salaudeen, popularly called Alfa, was caught raping the child via the footage of a hidden camera which was installed within the premises of the mosque by suspicious individuals.
The defendant, who resided at Ikotun, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Speaking on the issue, a psychologist, Mrs. Ayoola Akinyele blamed parents for the increase in cases of sexual assault on minors, noting that such things happen because parents fail to do what they are supposed to do. In her words, some of these things could have been prevented before they happened. She called on school owners to have a staff teacher and a bus attendance in the school bus, noting that this will hinder drivers from indulging in sexual affairs with the minors. Her words: “What we should avoid, we should try to avoid them and know the impact such actions will have on the child. Don’t leave your maid at home all alone with your husband or boy child.”
Some pastors also spoke with the reporter on the rape of minors by those purporting to be men of God.
Pastor Andrew Ikpebagha of Christ Publishers Global Ministry, Bayelsa State noted that things expected from men of God as well as teachers and others in charge of children were Godly attitudes and habits like good morals.
“God told Abraham that ‘I know that you will tell you children to follow me.’ Whether they are pastors, Imams, teachers or counsellors, what is expected of them is to bring these children up in the fear of God. These are people that are respected and are supposed to have the knowledge of God in them. They are supposed to instil the fear and love of God as well as discipline in these children. It is expected of them to keep the children in good morals, and for the children to be brought to the knowledge of God. They are supposed to show conducts and character as clergymen. The attitude they show to the children should be like the attitude of God, such that when they grow up, they should be happy that they passed through such teachers and clerics.
Another pastor who did not want his name mentioned said such perfidious acts perpetrated by supposed men of God are signs of the end times.
“These are end time signs. Just as the Bible said, in the end times, perilous times shall come and men shall be lovers of themselves. So it is happening now. But it is unfortunate that such things are happening. Parents too should know who keep custody of their children and know when they are picked up and monitor them till the child gets home. Parents should ensure they monitor their children at all times,” he said.