Hussaini Umar
BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI), Non governmental organization has hailed the legal victory in the fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) which mark the end of four-year struggle for justice for a rape survivor.
Ms Priscilla Usiobaifo, Executive Director, BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI) in a statement say the judgement marks a significant triumph in a collective fight against sexual and gender-based violence.
Justice Bright Eraze Oniha on 1st July 2026 found 31-year-old Emmanuel Peter guilty of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment for raping an 8-year-old girl at Ikpeshi Community, Akoko-Edo LGA of Edo State.
According to Usiobaifo, the convict accosted the survivor while she was returning from an errand to buy medication from a local chemist store. He forcefully carried her on his shoulder to a location where he sexually assaulted her. He covered the survivor’s face with a cap to reduce the echoes of her cry for help.
BraveHeart Initiative(BHI) began intervention in the case on May 25, 2022, following a report made at the Igarra Police Division and facilitated case prosecution over the course of four years with a total of eleven (11) court sittings attended.
”Throughout the duration of the legal proceedings, BraveHeart Initiative – BHI provided comprehensive medical, psychosocial, and socioeconomic support to the survivor and her family, ensuring they received the care and assistance needed to navigate the justice process”. She stated.
Ms Usiobaifo says BHI remains committed to supporting their continued healing, recovery, and overall well-being.
BHI welcomes the court’s verdicts and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to advancing justice for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
”This landmark outcome sends a clear and powerful message to girls and women across Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State that justice is attainable and that perpetrators of sexual violence will be held accountable under the law” she noted.
BHI remains dedicated to working alongside communities, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and other stakeholders to contribute to a society where SGBV is neither tolerated nor goes unpunished.
BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI) is a youth-led, feminist non-governmental organization promoting young people’s sexual reproductive health and advancing women’s rights in Nigeria.
The organization has facilitated the completion of forty – two (42) SGBV cases in court – Thirty-six (36) victories were recorded, and six (6) cases were lost. Ms. Priscilla Usiobaifo, Executive Director, BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI)
