Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim
By JOY ADARA, Abuja –
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has praised the 21-year prison sentence handed down to Ahmadu Yaro for raping a three-month-old baby in Adogi village, Nasarawa State.
The minister in a statement on Monday, said the judgment is a significant step towards protecting the rights and dignity of children.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the ruling as “a commendable affirmation of the justice system’s role in safeguarding our children.”
She commended the leadership shown by Justice Aisha Bashir-Aliyu and the commitment of the state’s Attorney General, Isaac Danladi, in tackling sexual and gender-based violence.
“The verdict is not only a victory for the victim’s family but a powerful statement that impunity will not be tolerated in Nasarawa State,” she said.
The minister emphasized the importance of enforcing the Child Rights Act, which has been domesticated across all 36 states.
She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to holding perpetrators of child abuse accountable and providing support to survivors.
Under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Sulaiman-Ibrahim vowed that acts of violence against children and women would no longer be ignored or minimized. “Justice will be visible, survivor-focused, and unrelenting,” she said.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim urged other states to follow Nasarawa’s example and called on families, communities, law enforcement, and the judiciary to work together in building a safer Nigeria for all children.
“Let this ruling serve as a turning point.
“A signal to all offenders that Nigeria will no longer shield those who violate her children”, she said.
