Cases of child abuse involving security guards have raised fresh questions about the safety of children in Nigerian schools and other learning environments. The issue came into focus after the recent arrest of a security guard in Kebbi State over the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl at an Islamiyya school in Jega Local Government Area. The case is still under investigation, but it has renewed attention on how schools recruit, supervise and monitor workers who have regular access to children.
Kebbi Police Arrest Security Guard
The Kebbi State Police Command said it arrested a 36-year-old security guard, Faruku Muhammed, over the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl. According to the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Hadejia, the incident allegedly occurred on June 14, 2026, at about 4:30 p.m.Muhammed, who was attached to an Islamiyya school in Jega, allegedly lured the girl into a room within the school premises. Police said the matter was under investigation and that the suspect would be prosecuted if found culpable. Hadejia also urged parents and guardians to promptly report cases involving the abuse or exploitation of children and other vulnerable people.
Earlier One-Year Sentence In Minna
The recent Kebbi case is separate from an earlier case in Minna in which a security guard was sentenced to one year in prison over offences involving a minor. A Minna Magistrates’ Court sentenced 25-year-old Abu Ajayi to one year after he was charged with abducting a 14-year-old girl and having unlawful sexual intercourse with her.The prosecution told the court that Ajayi took the girl from a shop to his room, where the offence allegedly occurred on two occasions.
He pleaded guilty and asked for leniency. Magistrate Mariam Kings sentenced him to six months on each of two counts, with an option of a N50,000 fine on each count. The case involved a 14-year-old girl and was not the same as the recent Kebbi incident involving a 10-year-old.
Five-Year Jail Term For Guard In Jos
In another case, a 65-year-old security guard, Sani Muhammad, was sentenced to five years in prison by a Jos Upper Area Court after admitting to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old pupil. The prosecution told the court that Muhammad lured the pupil of Alyasura Private School into a security room, where the offence occurred. The court sentenced him to five years in prison, with the judge saying the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others.
NAPTIP Secures Life Sentences
In another case, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons secured life imprisonment for two security guards convicted of repeatedly abusing a minor in Abuja. NAPTIP Director-General Binta Adamu Bello welcomed the judgment and called for greater care when employing people who have direct access to children. She urged parents and school owners to properly screen people employed as security guards, drivers, home lesson teachers, babysitters and domestic workers.
Calls For Stronger School Safeguards
The cases have drawn attention to the measures schools use to protect pupils from abuse. Background checks, employment references and proper identity verification can help schools assess prospective security personnel before giving them access to children. Schools also need clear procedures for reporting and investigating allegations, while proper supervision can reduce situations in which children are left alone with adults in isolated areas.
Parents can also play a role by encouraging children to speak up when they feel unsafe and ensuring that complaints are taken seriously.
Different Cases, Different Sentences
The different cases involving security guards show why individual convictions must be considered on their own facts. The one-year sentence in the Minna case involved a 14-year-old girl, while the five-year Jos case involved a 10-year-old pupil. The Kebbi case involving a 10-year-old girl remains at the investigation stage and should not be presented as a conviction.
Sentencing can depend on the charges brought before the court, the evidence presented, the applicable law and other circumstances surrounding each case.
What connects these incidents is the need to protect children from people who may misuse positions of trust or access.
Stronger Child Protection Needed
As the recent cases continue to draw attention to child safety in Nigerian schools, parents, school owners, security companies and law enforcement agencies all have a role to play. Schools must take recruitment and supervision seriously, while allegations involving children should be investigated promptly and prosecuted where sufficient evidence exists.
Children should be able to attend school without fear. Protecting them requires proper screening, responsible supervision and a school environment where their safety and dignity are taken seriously.
