Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Family Court in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Endurance Ime Sandy, to life imprisonment for the rape of an 11-year-old girl, in a landmark judgment that has been hailed as a major victory for child rights advocates and a powerful deterrent to sexual predators across the state.
Justice Blessings Obin Egwu of Family Court II delivered the judgment on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, following a trial that spanned several months. The court found Sandy guilty of the heinous offence and ruled that he deserved no leniency. Justice Egwu emphasised that the verdict should send a strong warning to anyone who targets minors for sexual abuse, describing the evidence presented during the trial as overwhelming and declaring the convict fully culpable.
Contrary to initial reports circulating on social media, the court did not sentence Sandy to death. Instead, it imposed a life sentence, which is the maximum penalty for such offences under the Child Rights Act and relevant provisions of the Criminal Code in Cross River State. The confusion may have arisen from widespread public outrage over the case, with many calling for the harshest possible punishment. However, the judiciary followed the extant laws, which prescribe life imprisonment for the rape of a minor, reflecting the gravity of the crime while adhering to legal provisions.
The case drew support from multiple security and government agencies during the investigation and prosecution stages. Barrister James Ibor, Principal Partner at Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), a non-governmental organisation that has been at the forefront of protecting and advocating for the rights of vulnerable children and women across the state, commended the collaborative efforts that led to the conviction. “The 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Calabar, the Cross River State Police Command, and the Office of the Attorney General played vital roles in ensuring justice for the child,” Ibor stated. He specifically thanked Etubom Ededem Ani, Okoi Ukam, Esq., and Mrs Linda Asuquo for their dedication throughout the process.
Giving details of the conviction to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview, Ibor said Justice Egwu delivered the judgment on Tuesday in a case that commenced in 2021. Speaking on the relationship between the convict and the survivor, Ibor said there was no known relationship between them apart from living in the same neighbourhood. He said the incident occurred while the girl was running an errand. According to him, the convict, who was also a resident of the area, approached the child and asked her to help him buy an item. “When the girl went to help him buy something, he gave the girl a drink. The girl later found herself in the early hours of the next day in his (convict’s) house after taking the drink. She also observed that she’s been sexually molested.” Ibor said the victim’s parents later launched a search for the child and contacted soldiers stationed at a military post near the neighbourhood, which triggered the investigation that ultimately led to Sandy's arrest and prosecution.
Ibor praised the Cross River State Government's firm commitment to safeguarding children and vowed that such partnerships would continue to protect vulnerable minors from predators. The successful prosecution and conviction of the convict were secured through the intervention of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), which provided invaluable support to the investigators and the child throughout the course of the case. Reacting to the judgment, the Principal Counsel of BRCI commended the judiciary for standing firm in the interest of justice. He said the ruling serves as a powerful deterrent to potential child predators operating within the state and the country at large. “We express our sincere appreciation to the Nigerian Army (13 Brigade, Calabar), the Nigeria Police Force, Cross River State Command, the Attorney-General of Cross River State, Etubom Ededem Ani, and the staff and volunteers of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative for the invaluable support they provided to the investigators and the child throughout the course of this case,” Ibor stated.
The human rights lawyer also singled out Okoi Ukam, Esq., and Mrs Linda Asuquo for their exceptional dedication to the case. He noted that their collaborative efforts were instrumental in ensuring that the legal process was seamless and that the young victim received full justice. Furthermore, the BRCI boss extended his gratitude to the Cross River State Government under the current administration. He commended the state’s commitment to creating a safe environment for minors and ensuring that perpetrators of gender-based violence face the full weight of the law.
This is the sixth conviction secured by BRCI in the last six months for rape cases in the state, underscoring the organisation’s intensified crackdown on child abuse and its push for stricter implementation of the Child Rights Act. Legal pundits and social workers have described the verdict as a major victory against the menace of child defilement, which has remained a critical issue in national discourse. The swift disposition of the case has also been praised as a testament to the growing efficiency of specialised Family Courts in Nigeria. With this latest ruling, the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative has now successfully secured six convictions in the past six months in Cross River State alone.
The case is one of many in a state that has witnessed a series of successful prosecutions for sexual offences. Last month, a 27-year-old man was convicted after he dragged a minor into an uncompleted building where he, with an accomplice, raped her. In April, a court in the state sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping his own daughter. These consecutive convictions signal a growing judicial resolve to tackle the scourge of child sexual abuse in Cross River State and across Nigeria. The judgment reinforces growing efforts across Nigeria to deter child sexual abuse through swift and decisive judicial action. For the 11-year-old survivor and her family, the life sentence offers a measure of closure, even as the long road to healing continues. For the people of Cross River State, it is a reminder that the justice system can, and will, protect the most vulnerable among them.
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