Abia sees rapid rape prosecutions, imprisons pedophiles for three and ten year terms

Abia State has achieved the fastest rape convictions in Nigeria's Sexual Assault Referral Centre network, with two child defilement cases resulting in prison sentences of 30 and 10 years, according to the state government.

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The government also reported that Abia has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the country, as announced by Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Ngozi Felix, and Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, after the State Executive Council meeting.

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A 35-year-old man from Akwa Ibom, residing in Aba, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for defiling a five-year-old girl from Imo State, after he was tracked down by the police in Nasarawa State and returned to Abia, where he was convicted on July 9, the day his trial commenced.

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Another 32-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of defiling a 13-year-old girl, with both convictions reflecting Governor Alex Otti's zero-tolerance policy on sexual and gender-based violence.

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Convicted sex offenders will be entered into the state's Sex Offenders Register, which is domiciled at the Ministry of Justice, as stated by Mrs. Felix, who emphasized that the government will protect its children at all costs.

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The Sexual Assault Referral Centre, inaugurated on February 18, provides survivors with medical treatment, forensic examinations, psychosocial support, and access to justice through collaboration with various ministries and the Nigeria Police Force.

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Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, mentioned that the centre recently handled two new cases, including a 60-year-old alleged gang rape survivor and a five-year-old defilement survivor, both of whom are receiving medical and psychosocial support.

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The government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring justice for victims of sexual violence and protecting vulnerable residents, with Kanu also stating that the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection supported the family of the late Lady Wendy Achumba, who was raped and murdered in Imo State.

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Abia recorded one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in Nigeria, with the state government attributing this achievement to its ongoing investments in the health sector, as announced during the First Quarter 2026 National Health Sector Performance Dialogue.

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Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, reported that Abia recorded only one maternal death in the first quarter of 2026, the same figure as the last quarter of 2025, while neonatal deaths declined from nine to seven.

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The improvement in maternal and neonatal mortality rates is attributed to the renovation, retrofitting, and functionalisation of 200 Primary Healthcare Centres under Project Ekwueme, with 139 primary healthcare centres already completed and 50 being equipped.

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An additional 12 facilities will soon become operational, bringing the total number of functional primary healthcare centres to 151, and over 9,136 patients have been enrolled on the state's Digital Health Platform across nine hospitals in the last three months.

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Enrollment under the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme has increased from about 40,000 beneficiaries in December 2024 to 225,581 as of July 2026, and rehabilitation and expansion works at the Abia Specialist Hospital are nearing completion.

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The hospital is being equipped with digital health and telemedicine infrastructure ahead of commissioning, and Abia is leading a four-state initiative to digitise childhood immunisation records, in partnership with the Gates Foundation.

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Every child will receive a unique vaccination tracking number linked to a digital database and geospatial mapping system to improve monitoring of immunisation coverage and disease surveillance, as disclosed by Prof. Uche.

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The government advised residents to observe proper food hygiene and safe water practices to prevent food poisoning, and Kanu reported that the state has no recorded cases of Mpox, COVID-19, Lassa fever, Ebola, Yellow Fever, Cholera, or Rabies.