A Federal Capital Territory High Court has sentenced prominent Abuja-based cleric, Bishop Kenneth Duke, to 20 years in prison without the option of a fine for raping a 12-year-old girl.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, signed by its National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye. The statement, titled “An FCT High Court Sentences a 52-Year-Old Bishop to 20 Years Imprisonment for Rape,” detailed the court’s verdict and the circumstances surrounding the case.
NAPTIP had prosecuted the 52-year-old clergyman from Cross River State for sexually assaulting the young victim, who was placed in his care by her mother, a member of his church.
In case no. CR/702/2023 Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Bishop Kenneth Duke, the defendant was arraigned before Court 16 on November 2, 2023, on two charges: rape and inflicting emotional and psychological abuse on the victim.
The court found that Duke, residing behind Dantata Construction Company in Dakwa, Abuja, had carnal knowledge of the girl without her consent on March 6, 2023, in violation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
How the Incident Unfolded
NAPTIP’s investigation revealed that the victim, originally from Ondo State, had been living in Lagos before relocating to Abuja to be with her mother.
On March 5, 2023, her mother took her to the church located along Dantata Zuba Expressway. After the service, she was entrusted to Duke’s household, as previously agreed upon by both families, with the intention that the bishop’s wife would facilitate her enrollment in a vocational training program.
However, the following day, Duke allegedly sent his children on an errand, leaving himself alone with the girl. Under the pretense of giving her a mathematics assignment, he overpowered her, covered her mouth, and raped her on a chair, despite her pleas and cries for help.
Court Ruling and Wider Implications
Justice Adebiyi Osolo found Duke guilty of rape and sentenced him accordingly.
This conviction comes shortly after NAPTIP operatives rescued nine pregnant girls from a suspected baby factory in the Ushafa area of Abuja. The victims had been confined in a rented apartment by an unidentified trafficking agent who had recruited them through an online platform.
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