Court Sentences Two Rapists To 30, 10 Years Respectively, As Abia Is High On Infant Mortality

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Two men who allegedly assaulted two minors in Abia State have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment by a court in the state.

The convicts, whose sentences were facilitated by the recently launched Nchendo Sexual Assault Referral Centre, are a 35-year-old man sentenced 10 years for defiling a five-year old infant and a 32-year-old convict sentenced to 30 years for defiling a 13-year-old girl.

Briefing newsmen in Umuahia, the State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, explained that Assault Referral Centre was set up to protect minors and the vulnerable, including women.

Kanu, who spoke while addressing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, said the rape cases were decided on July 9, 2026.

His words: “These are landmark convictions that indicate the Abia State Government has zero tolerance for sexual assault on women”.

According to the commissioner, in line with the citizens’ focus governance standards set by the administration of Dr. Alex Otti, the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection has continued with its implementation of the state’s framework for access to social protection support through the identification, assessment, and coordination of assistance for vulnerable citizens that require urgent medical and humanitarian support.

On the gruesome murder of an Abia-born student nurse, Miss Wendy Achumba, in Imo State, Kanu stated that the government, through the Ministry, had visited her family and commiserated with the members.

On sports, the Abia information commissioner disclosed that the state Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in partnership with Dreamland Football Academy, recently organised the second edition of the Abia State Dreamland Under-19 Cup Tournament, pointing out that six outstanding young footballers have been identified by foreign football partners for a professional career in Europe.

He announced that the Abia State Volleyball Team has returned to the Nigerian Volleyball Premier League after 23 years of relegation and recorded an impressive performance during the first phase of the league in Abuja, while preparations are underway for the second phase in Lagos.

He revealed that Abia Angels Football Club, a female football team of the state, has qualified for the Nigerian Women’s Football League Super Six for the first time in its history, describing the feat as a major milestone for women’s football in the state, with the team currently being strengthened ahead of the 2026/2027 league season.

In her comment, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs Blessing Ngozi Felix, said the NCHEDO Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which was launched on February 18, 2026, to provide access to justice, psychosocial support, among others, for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Abia State.

According to her, in the case of a 35-year-old man who defiled a 5-year-old child and absconded, “he absconded to Nassarawa State and the police swung into action, brought him back to Abia State for him to face the court proceedings.

“The hearing was called up on the 9th of July, last week Thursday, and on that same 9th of July he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Abia has emerged as one of the best-performing states in Nigeria in maternal and infant mortality rates.

Fielding questions from journalists in Umuahia, the State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, revealed that information was contained in the recently released First Quarter Performance Dialogue, describing the Quarterly Performance Dialogue as a flagship accountability and management programme of the Federal Ministry of Health.

This, he said, brings together federal authorities, 36 state commissioners for health, and development partners to review sector progress, track key health indicators, and improve healthcare delivery nationwide.

He said, “The remarkable improvement in our maternal and infant mortality profile is a direct outcome of the huge investments made by the administration of Governor Alex Otti in the health sector,

“Particularly through the renovation, retrofitting and functionalisation of primary healthcare centres across the state”.

On health, Kanu stated that, under the first phase of Project Ekwueme, 200 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) are being revitalised alongside the 77 Impact World Bank sponsored PHCs, saying that up to now, 139 PHCs have been fully functionalised, 50 PHCs are currently being equipped , and 12 would be functionalised within the next fortnight.

The state’s Digital Health Project, he opined, is driving increased patronage of public hospitals, adding that over 9,136 patients have been onboarded across nine hospitals within the last three months.

He added that health insurance enrollment has increased significantly from 40,000 beneficiaries in December 2024 to 225,581 as at July 2026, describing it as evidence of growing public confidence in the state’s healthcare reforms.

Kanu used the forum to announce that work on the Obingwa General Hospital has reached an advanced stage, with rehabilitation works completed in several sections and new buildings added to the facility.

According to the commissioner, the hospital is currently being equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, including Digital Health and Telehealth facilities, ahead of its commissioning.

Prince Kanu also disclosed that Abia is leading a joint initiative involving Anambra, Delta and Akwa Ibom States to domesticate a digital immunisation tracking system that links children’s vaccination records with other social data to improve healthcare planning and disease prevention.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, explained that the outstanding performance recorded by Abia was independently verified through the Federal Ministry of Health’s national reporting system.