NHRC Lawyer Accused of Pressuring Family to Accept Compensation, Drop Case Against Army Captain

A lawyer attached to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Taraba State has been accused of pressuring the family of a 13-year-old girl to accept financial compensation and discontinue a case involving a serving Nigerian Army captain. The allegations were made by sources close to the family and reported by SaharaReporters. The girl, identified as Liyatu, is described as deaf and non-speaking. She was allegedly sexually abused and impregnated by Captain Etim Essien while living under the care of his family in Taraba State. According to family sources cited by SaharaReporters, the captain’s wife, Blessing Essien, allegedly approached the girl’s family after her release from custody and asked them to accept ₦500,000 and withdraw the case. Another source alleged that the couple had previously offered the family ₦20 million to discontinue the matter, but that the offer was rejected. The family reportedly maintains that it wants the allegations investigated and prosecuted rather than settled through monetary compensation. The NHRC lawyer, Barrister Ikrimah Isa, however, denied the allegations, telling SaharaReporters that the claims were untrue. He also disputed the family’s account of Blessing’s custody, saying she remained under the custody of the court. The matter has attracted the attention of the Taraba State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development and the Nigerian Army. The state ministry previously notified the Chief of Army Staff about the allegations and requested appropriate administrative and disciplinary action subject to investigation and due process. Captain Essien has also denied the allegations through his lawyer, who said the reported account did not accurately reflect what happened and noted that the matter was before a competent court while police investigations were ongoing. The claims concerning the alleged pressure on the family remain allegations, with conflicting accounts regarding the custody status of the captain’s wife. Source: SaharaReporters, September 17, 2026. https://saharareporters.com/2026/09/17/nhrc-lawyer-pressuring-family-accept-compensation-drop-case-against-nigerian-army