A Federal Capital Territory High Court has sentenced Bishop Kenneth Duke, 52, to 20 years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl.
The court, presided over by Hon. Justice Adebiyi Osolo, found Duke guilty of rape without an option of fine. The victim was the daughter of a church member who had been entrusted to his care.
According to NAPTIP National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye in a statement on Wednesday, the rape occurred on March 6, 2023, at the bishop’s home near Dantata Construction Company, Dakwa. Duke reportedly sent his children away, isolated the victim, and sexually assaulted her while she was solving mathematics problems.
“The offence stated that the convict who lives behind Dantata Construction Company, Dakwa, Abuja, on March 6, 2023, penetrated the private parts of the victim (name withheld) with his manhood, thereby committing an offence punishable under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015,” Adekoye stated.
“Investigation revealed that the victim, an indigene of Ondo State was living in Lagos before she was brought to Abuja to live with her mother.”
“The report indicated that on March 5, 2023, her mother took her to the church located at Dantata Zuba Expressway, and after the service, she was taken to the family house of the bishop who is also the pastor of the church so that she could stay with them to enable the bishop’s wife to take her to where she will learn a skill which both families had earlier discussed.
“It was gathered that the following day, 6th March 2023, the convict, father of 5 children, sent his children on an errand, and being alone with the victim at home at about 10 am, gave her some mathematics work to solve and as she was trying to do it, the bishop pounced on her, covered her mouth and violently raped her on a chair despite her crying and pleading.
“In the judgment, the randy cleric was found guilty of a one-count charge of rape and was sentenced accordingly without an option of fine.
“The development came on the heels of the rescue of 9 pregnant girls by the operatives of NAPTIP at a suspected baby factory located inside one of the sprawling estates in Ushafa area of Abuja.
“The victims were locked up in a rented apartment inside the estate by a yet-to-be-identified suspected trafficking agent after recruiting them through an online platform.”
“The raid on the facility by operatives of NAPTIP followed a tip-off by a concerned citizen who noticed the unusual situation and movement around the area,” Adekoye added.
NAPTIP Director General Binta Adamu Bello condemned the act: “How can a 52-year-old man violate a 12-year-old girl? It is painful and criminal. Rape has an everlasting psychological effect and lasting trauma on the victim.”
Bello added that the conviction will serve as a deterrent, emphasizing that NAPTIP will not spare anyone violating laws related to human trafficking or violence against persons.
He said, “I want to sincerely thank the Judiciary for this judgment. It will certainly serve as a deterrent to other people. Like, I warned a few weeks ago, NAPTIP will not spare anyone found to have violated any of the Laws irrespective of status, either on human trafficking or violence against persons.”
The case follows a recent NAPTIP operation that rescued nine pregnant girls from a suspected baby factory in Abuja’s Ushafa area.
