Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A video that has since gone viral on social media shows the moment an Abuja-based fashion designer confronted a trader at the Garki International Market over alleged sexual comments made about a young girl estimated to be between seven and ten years old. The designer, identified as ElPraise, has come forward to explain his side of the story, saying he could not walk away after hearing what the older man said. The incident happened last Saturday, after choir rehearsal, while ElPraise was at the market to buy fabric for a client's suit and help a friend pick up some clothing.
According to ElPraise, he was walking through the corridor at the Obasanjo Block of the market when he heard a man, clearly older than him, making sexual comments about a little girl who was helping with her mother or guardian's Point of Sale business. The girl, who was wearing a brown dress, was holding a blue Moniepoint POS machine. A woman nearby challenged the older man, saying, "This one na small pikin na." But instead of backing down, the man allegedly responded with another sexual remark about the child. "Who tell you say na small pikin? If you carry am enter inside room now, she go break your waist," the man reportedly said.
ElPraise said he could not ignore what he had heard. He turned around and confronted the man. "Sir, with all due respect, this thing you just said is very stupid. You shouldn't say that to a child because she's a minor," he said. But instead of acknowledging his wrongdoing, the man began defending himself. What disgusted ElPraise even more was that other men at the scene supported the trader, with one even commenting on the girl's dress, asking why she was wearing a "show me your back" dress. Another man told ElPraise it wasn't his business and that he should leave.
ElPraise said he did not know anyone was recording the confrontation and only discovered that the video had gone viral on TikTok. He stressed that he did not intervene for attention. "The life of God in me trumps my humanity. I couldn't hear that and walk away," he said. "This isn't about me being a 'good man.' It's about refusing to normalize the sexualization of children."
The video has sparked outrage on social media, with many Nigerians commending ElPraise for his courage while calling for the arrest and prosecution of the trader. As of the time of this report, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident. However, the viral nature of the video has placed renewed pressure on authorities to act against those who prey on or sexualise minors. For ElPraise, the incident has become a personal mission. "At what point does something become our business? When it's your daughter? Your sister? Your niece?" he asked.
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