A human rights lawyer attached to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Taraba State Office, Barrister Ikrimah Isa, has been accused by sources close to the family of a 13-year-old deaf and non-speaking girl of pressuring the family to accept monetary compensation and discontinue a case involving the alleged sexual abuse of the minor by a serving Nigerian Army captain.
The girl, identified as Liyatu, was allegedly sexually abused and impregnated by Captain Etim Essien while she was living under the care of his family in Taraba State.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Isa intervened in the matter to secure the release of Blessing Essien, the captain’s wife, who was arrested and remanded at a correctional facility in Jalingo.
The sources alleged that Blessing spent only two days in custody before she was released following Isa’s intervention.
The family alleged that after her release, Blessing approached them and attempted to persuade them to accept N500,000 as compensation and withdraw the case against her husband.
A family source told SaharaReporters that relatives had initially believed Blessing was still being held in Jalingo until they discovered that she had been released after spending two days in custody.
“Blessing, the woman we all thought had been in Jalingo Prison, was released two days after staying there,” the source said.
The source alleged that Blessing subsequently went to Liyatu’s family and asked them to accept N500,000 and drop the charges.
“She only went to Liyatu’s family and told them that they should accept N500,000 as compensation and drop the charges,” the source alleged.
SaharaReporters also obtained a video showing Blessing with Liyatu’s baby and members of the girl’s family.
Family sources said the video showed Blessing attempting to persuade the family to accept financial compensation and discontinue its pursuit of the case.
The sources said the family rejected the proposal, insisting that its primary demand was justice for the girl.
Another source familiar with the matter alleged that Blessing and her husband had previously offered the family N20 million to stop pursuing the case, but that the family rejected the offer.
“She and her husband offered us N20 million and we refused to accept,” the source told SaharaReporters.
The source added that the family remained concerned that attempts were being made to prevent the case from proceeding.
“We refused to accept, but it is possible they have offered him money and he has accepted it,” the source alleged.
The source was referring to Isa and his alleged involvement in discussions with the family.
The family further accused the NHRC lawyer of repeatedly urging them to accept compensation and withdraw the case.
“The human rights lawyer has been telling Liyatu and her family to agree and accept compensation and withdraw the case. Very shocking,” the source said.
Lawyer Denies Allegations
SaharaReporters contacted Isa for his response to the allegations.
He dismissed the claims, saying they were untrue, and disputed the family’s account of Blessing’s custody.
“Good morning. All the allegations are not true. Blessing is still under the custody of the court.
“The case also involves multiple agencies,” Isa told SaharaReporters.
The family’s account that Blessing had been released after two days therefore conflicts with Isa’s statement that she remained under the custody of the court.
The family has maintained that it does not want the matter resolved through monetary compensation and instead wants the allegations involving the minor investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Background
SaharaReporters exclusively reported on September 9 that Captain Essien had been accused of sexually abusing the 13-year-old girl, impregnating her and fathering a child with her while she was allegedly living under his family’s care in Taraba State.
The girl, who is deaf and non-speaking, was reportedly taken into the custody of Blessing, who is said to be her older step-sister.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Blessing initially took custody of the girl with the stated intention of ensuring that she attended school.
However, the circumstances surrounding the girl’s stay with the family later became the subject of an investigation after allegations emerged that Captain Essien had sexual relations with the minor, resulting in her pregnancy.
The allegations have attracted the intervention of the Taraba State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, the National Human Rights Commission, Taraba State chapter, and other relevant authorities.
A source familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters that Captain Essien had been married to Blessing for several years without having a child before the girl was brought to live with the couple.
The source further alleged that Blessing was involved in arranging circumstances that enabled her husband to have sexual relations with the minor in the hope that the girl would become pregnant and provide the couple with a child.
The source also alleged that Blessing attempted to conceal the girl’s pregnancy while creating the impression that she herself was pregnant.
The allegations later came to light, leading to the intervention of government authorities and other institutions.
SaharaReporters also obtained a recording of a telephone conversation in which Blessing admitted that her husband had sexual relations with her step-sister and pleaded for forgiveness, describing the matter as a family issue that would be handled within the family.
In the recording, Blessing reportedly acknowledged her involvement in circumstances surrounding the pregnancy and appealed for the matter to be resolved within the family.
Government Writes Nigerian Army
At the time of SaharaReporters’ September 9 report, sources said Blessing had been arrested, arraigned before a Magistrate Court and remanded at the correctional facility in Jalingo while investigations continued.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Child Development in Taraba State, Mrs Mary Sinjen, had confirmed that Blessing was in custody with the baby, who she was breastfeeding.
“She is still with her. She is already breastfeeding the baby, which is why we did not separate them,” Sinjen told SaharaReporters.
The commissioner said the 13-year-old girl was staying with her parents while government authorities monitored her welfare.
Sinjen also said Blessing remained in custody with the baby.
“Blessing, she is in prison with the baby,” the commissioner said.
She disclosed that the Taraba State Government had formally written to the Nigerian Army concerning the allegations against Captain Essien.
“Actually, we have written to the Nigerian Army. The letter has been acknowledged. The letter is already with the Nigerian Army. So, I think the Army will invite the captain,” Sinjen said.
In a formal letter dated September 8, 2026, and signed by Sinjen, the Taraba State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development notified the Chief of Army Staff of the allegations involving Captain Essien.
The letter, obtained by SaharaReporters, was titled, “Notification of Alleged Sexual Abuse of a Minor Involving a Serving Officer—Captain Etim Essien.”
The ministry said it was formally bringing to the attention of the Chief of Army Staff “a serious case involving an allegation of sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor in Taraba State,” in which Captain Essien had been identified as the alleged perpetrator.
The ministry described the alleged victim as a minor who is deaf and non-speaking and said the allegations concerned sexual abuse while the child was under the care of the officer and his family.
According to the ministry, Captain Essien was believed to be attending a course at a Nigerian Army training facility in Jaji, Kaduna State, at the time of the notification.
The ministry asked the Nigerian Army to commence appropriate administrative and disciplinary procedures, subject to the outcome of investigations and due process.
Captain Essien Denies Allegations
When SaharaReporters contacted Captain Essien over the allegations, he provided a statement issued by his lawyer, G.T. Ieave, Esq., who disputed the account of the matter.
“We wish to state that this account does not accurately reflect what transpired,” he said.
The lawyer said his attention had been drawn to reports concerning the case.
“Our attention has been drawn to speculations circulating on social media that a 15-year-old girl was impregnated and her baby taken from her,” the lawyer said.
“As counsel in the matter, we wish to state that this account does not accurately reflect what transpired, and we are monitoring closely the situation as events unfold.”
The lawyer said the matter was before a competent court and that the police were conducting investigations to establish the facts.
When SaharaReporters contacted Milcah Sherry Agabison, Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Taraba State Command, to confirm whether Blessing had been released, she promised to get back to the reporter.
However, as of the time of filing this report, she had not responded.