By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
Amnesty International has rejected what it described as a profound miscarriage of justice unfolding in Plateau State involving a four-year-old survivor of sexual violence.
The position was stated by Amnesty International’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, during a media interaction in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
Sanusi said, “Amnesty International alongside human rights advocates, civil society organizations, and the media, voice our absolute rejection of profound miscarriage of justice unfolding in Plateau State.”
“A four-year-old-survivor of sexual violence has been abandoned by the institution constitutionally mandated to protect her and prosecute her abuser,” he said.
He explained that, “The case is a horrific crime against a toddler which was handled by a Plateau State High Court in Jos.”
“The defendant consistently showed flagrant disregard for the judiciary by refusing to appear in court. The court issued a standing bench warrant for the defendant’s immediate arrest.”
“However, in May 2026, while the bench warrant subsisted, prosecutors from the office of the Plateau State Attorney General invoked Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria in the court, discontinuing the criminal trial which let the defendant walk free,” Sanusi stated.
He said, “The Constitution explicitly states that the Attorney General’s powers to discontinue criminal proceedings must be exercised with strict regard to ‘public interest, the interest of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process.'”
“We ask the Plateau State Ministry of Justice: How is dropping a mid-trial sexual violence case involving a four-year-old toddler in public interest?”
“How does protecting a fugitive defendant serve the interest of justice? How does this act align with the Plateau State Child Rights Law 2005 and the Plateau State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, 2022?” he queried.
“This sudden withdrawal is an extremely bad abuse of legal process, sets a negative precedence and creates distrust in the state’s justice system.”
“It signals to predators that they can evade the law, wait out the system, and receive a quiet exit from criminal accountability,” Sanusi said.
On its demands, Sanusi said, “Given the alleged human right violations involved, Amnesty International demands the following from the Plateau State government:”
“To the Governor of Plateau State: We urgently call on the Governor to exercise his executive oversight and compel the Attorney General of Plateau State to immediately reverse this withdrawal, re-institute the charges, and restore the case to the high court.”
“To the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice: We demand a transparent, immediate public explanation detailing the legal, logical and moral justifications for abandoning a vulnerable child survivor.”
“To the Nigerian Police Force, Plateau State Command: We demand the immediate, aggressive execution of the court-ordered bench warrant to apprehend the defendant so that trial can resume without delay.”
“We refuse to let this case be buried in bureaucratic silence and assure the public of our continuous engagement on the case to ensure justice is served for the four-year-old survivor,” Sanusi added.
Amnesty Int’l condemns Plateau govt over withdrawal of 4-yr-old defilement case
