44-Year-old Nigerian man sentenced to life imprisonment for raping 7-year-old girl in Gambia

Justice S.K. Jobarteh of the High Court in Banjul, Gambia, has sentenced a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Moses Ukwai to life imprisonment for r@ping a seven-year-old girl.

Jobarteh handed down the sentence on Thursday, 5 March 2026.

Ukwai faced two counts of r@pe under Section 3(1)(a) and punishable under Section 4(1)(bb) of the S3xual Offences Act, 2013. 

The offences occurred in April 2025.

He was found guilty on the first count involving the seven-year-old, while he was discharged on the second count involving an eight-year-old.

The full witness testimony and sentencing details are expected to be released on Monday, 9 March 2026.