Unreported Sexual Abuse of Boys Rising in Kaduna — Stakeholders

Stakeholders in child protection and justice administration in Kaduna State have raised concerns over the growing number of unreported sexual abuse cases involving boys, noting that many alleged perpetrators are known to their victims — including neighbours, relatives and other trusted adults.

The Kaduna State has laws addressing violence against children and sexual offences, including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law 2018 and the Child Welfare and Protection Law 2018. The Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017, as amended in 2020, also contains provisions addressing sexual intercourse with a male child below the age of 14.

The concerns emerged from interviews conducted with officials at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice on cases involving boys.

Cases at the referral centre

The Centre Manager of Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Tudun Wada, Kaduna, Ms Sidikat Adegboye, said the facility had attended to several children allegedly subjected to sexual abuse. She said one case involved a boy brought to the centre in May 2026, whose medical examination confirmed he had been assaulted, followed in August by three other boys from the same family, one of whom was also confirmed to have been assaulted.

According to her, the first case — brought before the Magistrate's Court and being handled by the Ministry of Women Affairs — followed allegations by the boy's family against a man in their neighbourhood, who has denied the accusations. The accused said his interaction with the boy was limited to helping him at a worship centre, occasionally giving him small amounts of money, and asking him to fetch water or clean his car. He denied taking the boy away for any sexual purpose.

One of the mothers involved, whose identity is been withheld to protect her children, said she grew suspicious after noticing her young son had an unusual medical problem, and that an examination — later followed by the boy's own disclosure — pointed to abuse by a man known in the neighbourhood. She said the boy told his father the alleged perpetrator had threatened to kill him if he told anyone. The family sought legal advice, and a subsequent examination at Yusuf Dantsoho General Hospital indicated the child had been abused over a prolonged period; the matter was reported to police.

"Honestly, I need justice for my children. These children are ill and need medical care and social support. We don't have resources to take care of them," she said.

Another mother alleged that the same man had abused her two sons after giving them soft drinks and threatening them with death if they disclosed it. She said medical investigations were conducted and the case reported to police, and expressed concern over its subsequent status while appealing for justice and support for her children.

Complaints handled by FIDA

FIDA Kaduna Chairperson, Ms Olufunke Bamikole, said the organisation had also received complaints involving sexual abuse of boys. She cited one case involving a boy allegedly abused by a neighbour over more than a year, who reportedly took the boy in his vehicle and returned him to his family under the guise of helping him. The boy was later taken to a SARC for examination and the case reported to police.

Bamikole said FIDA grew concerned after learning the suspect was no longer in custody, and that subsequent information suggested more boys may have been affected. "Initially, we were hearing that it was only about six or seven boys the suspect was doing it to. But we later heard that there were about 40, including his own son," she said, stressing the need for authorities and communities to take such allegations seriously.

Police response

The Kaduna State Police Command said the suspect referenced by FIDA was not released without due process. The Officer in Charge of the Gender Section, Mr Dominic Aku, said the suspect spent about three to four months in custody before the case file was forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice, as is routine after investigations in cases requiring such advice.

"In this case, the advice we received from the Ministry stated that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him and that he should be discharged. It was not the police who released him," he said.

Why cases go unreported

The Kaduna State Coordinator of the NHRC, Dr Tengu Gwar, said many abuse cases remain hidden because victims and their families are often reluctant to come forward, citing low legal awareness, stigma, cultural considerations and interventions by family or community leaders as key factors.

"In the city centre, we receive some reports, but you can imagine what is happening in places where literacy levels are very low, particularly legal literacy. People do not know their rights or the available channels for seeking redress. As a result, some of these issues are buried. They are underreported," he said.

He said the commission had received complaints of alleged abuse within family and neighbourhood circles, and that some families attempt to resolve such cases privately out of fear of stigma or reluctance to expose a relative or acquaintance. He recalled a case in Zaria in which a mother seeking justice for her child lost her husband's support amid pressure from others.

The justice system's response

Ms Sarah Peter, a Senior State Counsel and gender-based violence and child protection specialist at the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice, confirmed that cases involving sexual violence against boys were being reported. She said the ministry's Department of Citizens' Rights accepts complaints involving human rights violations, including those affecting children, which can be referred to the police, Legal Aid Council, FIDA or the Multi-Door Courthouse depending on the circumstances.

Peter disclosed she had prosecuted several such cases, including one concluded in 2026 involving a two-year-old boy who was sexually assaulted by an adult. She said the same adult had allegedly abused a 12-year-old boy and later forced him to take part in the assault of the younger child; the 12-year-old was treated as a victim, as investigations found he had himself been abused. The adult was convicted and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with an order to pay N500,000 in compensation to the survivor's family.

However, Peter said another case involving three boys of about six years old had stalled because their parents failed to make them available to testify, after their community reportedly advised them to "forgive and forget" and drop the matter. She said such interventions can undermine the prosecution of child sexual abuse cases.

The stakeholders believe stronger enforcement of existing laws, improved public awareness, survivor protection and sustained prosecution are necessary to address sexual abuse involving boys. They urged families to report suspected abuse promptly and avoid settling such cases through informal arrangements that could expose children to further harm.