Nigeria: Amnesty Faults Plateau Govt Over Withdrawal of Four-Year-Old's Defilement Case

What the report says

Amnesty International Nigeria has criticised the Plateau State Government for discontinuing the prosecution of a man accused of defiling a four-year-old girl, saying the move undermines access to justice and child protection. The concern was raised in Jos on Wednesday by Amnesty’s country director, Isa Sanusi, in comments reported by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica.

According to the report, the case had been before the Plateau State High Court in Jos until May 2026, when the state Ministry of Justice discontinued it under the constitutional powers of the attorney-general. Amnesty said the decision came even though the accused had repeatedly failed to appear in court and a bench warrant had reportedly been issued for his arrest. The organisation and lawyers involved in the matter argued that the prosecution remained viable and should be restored.

Amnesty and allied campaigners also warned that ending the case could weaken public confidence in the justice system and raise concerns about enforcement of Plateau’s child protection and violence-against-persons laws. The group said it had written to the attorney-general and petitioned Governor Caleb Mutfwang, but had not received a response from the governor at the time of reporting.

More broadly, the dispute highlights the tension between prosecutorial discretion and the demand for accountability in child sexual abuse cases. The claims in this report are based on Amnesty’s public comments and the court-related details provided in the source material; the state government’s side was not included in the available text.