Nasiru Usman sentenced to 12 years for raping toddler

In a critical step towards justice for child survivors of sexual violence, Nasiru Usman, a scrap seller, was on Monday convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court. Usman was found guilty of sexually assaulting and indecently treating a four-year-old child.

Justice Rahman Oshodi, who presided over the case, described Usman’s actions as a “gross violation of trust” and a “heinous abuse of power” against a vulnerable minor. According to the judge, the impact of the assault is likely to leave lifelong psychological trauma for the survivor.

According to the prosecution, the assault took place on January 6, 2023, at Ghetto Corner, Lekki, where the child was lured into Usman’s shop and violated. An Investigative Police Officer, who testified before the court, revealed that after assaulting the child, Usman gave her ₦200.

Initially charged with rape, an offence that carries a life sentence under Lagos State’s Criminal Law Usman’s charges were reduced under a plea agreement signed and filed on May 22, 2025. The judge sentenced him to seven years for indecent treatment, three years for sexual assault, and two years for an indecent act, with the sentences to run consecutively.

In his judgment, Justice Oshodi noted that the survivor was a vulnerable child whose trust had been gravely violated. He stated that although Usman’s guilty plea showed a level of accountability and saved the survivor from further trauma of open testimony, it could not undo the psychological harm already inflicted.

The judge further ordered that Usman be entered into the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register, as mandated by law.

The court ruled that the terms would run consecutively, bringing the total sentence to 12 years. The judge also ordered that the convict be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.