At the beginning of May 2024, Musa Suleiman posted topless pictures of his three-year-old daughter on Instagram to celebrate her fourth birthday. In the picture, which was also a party invite flyer, his daughter, Sarah, was in a thong, making suggestive poses—a clear indication of sexual exploitation by her father.
The post quickly went viral on X and Instagram following a post by X user @miss_ezeani. In the post, Miss Ezeani called on the attention of X users who influence the app to help locate and prosecute Musa Suleiman.
The National Agency for The Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) got a wave of the situation after getting tagged severally to Miss Ezeani’s post on X, and they responded by saying,
“Thank you all for bringing this obscenity to our attention. This is Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), which is a crime! We are working on contacting Meta to bring down the accounts while we track the offenders.
We urge the public to desist from further sharing unsanitised pictures of this child; you are adding to the problem by aiding the distribution of CSAM, which is also a crime! Thank you all.”
With individuals mass reporting Sarah’s account, Musa Suleiman made a post asking Nigerians not to take down the page as it was his source of income. He also made a post, tagging Malaysian pornstar Miss Piuyi and asking her to intervene in the issue, saying she is his daughter’s role model.
After hours of mass reporting and contacting relevant officials, including the Nigerian Police Force, Musa Suleiman was arrested on May 13th, 2024, and the Nigerian Police Force made an official press statement.
While the disturbing case made its rounds on social media, women like Kiki Mordi, Mo Odele and Sugabelly ensured to follow the case up until the Nigerian Police Force arrested Musa Suleiman.
What’s the next step?
At the moment, X users are calling on authorities to arrest the individuals—aside from her father, who has been arrested– involved in the sexual exploitation of Sarah. These individuals can be seen in pictures with Sarah in places like clubs, bedrooms and suggestive situations where a child shouldn’t be.
Paedophilia in Nigeria is an issue of concern. Children can no longer live without the constant fear of being exploited by community members and, in this case, even their parents. Unfortunately, the law also has a considerable part to play in this. The Nigerian constitution only prohibits sexual offences against children below the age of 14 and age 13 for girls, making this the official age of consent in Nigeria. However, despite the law, people still go on to exploit and sexually abuse children. The case of Sarah Suleiman being exploited by her father has triggered outrage from X users. Here’s what the people are saying;
The global issue of paedophilia
Sexual attraction to prepubescent children is a global issue and a mental disorder that puts young children at risk of sexual exploitation, abuse, and psychological trauma. Children who are sexually abused may experience a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and difficulties forming healthy relationships in adulthood.
Many countries have passed laws to tackle paedophilia and shield young people from abuse and exploitation on the sexual plane. These regulations often include strict punishments for violators and victim assistance and rehabilitation provisions. However, there are differences in how these laws are applied and enforced, and sociological and cultural variables can affect how people see child sexual abuse and paedophilia.
In Nigeria, for example, certain cultures and religions indicate no wrongdoing in the marriage of young girls below the age of 16. This doesn’t allow for accurate reporting among community members, not to mention the lack of education on the topic.
Globally, children are increasingly at risk of sexual abuse, mainly due to the internet. Paedophiles can easily target children via the internet and make use of media content made available by parents for sexual satisfaction. This is why people are fervently advocating for the prosecution of Musa Suleiman and the individuals who encouraged and supported the exploitation of his daughter.
While there is no final verdict on the case, the unveiling of Sarah’s Instagram and Facebook accounts and the events that followed since are proof that Nigeria does have a paedophilia problem. Now more than ever, we must call out situations, parents, and members of society that fail to protect the livelihood and future of children.
