British courts and law enforcement agencies are intensifying their crackdown on sexual offences following a string of high-profile convictions involving Nigerian nationals in the United Kingdom, raising renewed concern over public safety on trains, in hospitals and other shared spaces.
The latest case involves Esosa Eguakin, a UK-based Nigerian man who was sentenced to two years in prison for sexually assaulting two women on commuter trains travelling from Hampshire to London. In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), banning him from sitting near lone women on trains after his release.
Eguakin pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and was sentenced on Tuesday, February 10, at Guildford Crown Court, following an investigation by the British Transport Police (BTP).
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The court heard that on August 21 last year, shortly after 7:15am, Eguakin boarded a Fratton-to-London Waterloo service and deliberately sat behind a woman in her 30s, whom he sexually assaulted during the journey. A second incident occurred on October 6, shortly after 6am, on a service from Eastleigh to London Waterloo. When confronted by the victim, Eguakin claimed he was trying to retrieve a phone he had dropped and refused to move away.
An off-duty police officer intervened, escorting him off the train at Woking and detaining him until other officers arrived and placed him under arrest. Subsequent investigations linked both incidents, leading to his prosecution.
British Transport Police Detective Constable David Stewart described Eguakin’s conduct as “predatory and deeply distressing,” stressing that no passenger should feel unsafe while travelling. He praised the victims for their courage and the off-duty officer whose swift action prevented further harm, adding that the sentence sent a clear message that offenders would be pursued and held accountable.
Eguakin’s conviction follows other serious cases that have drawn public attention. Earlier this year, Daniel Odubanjo, a 27-year-old Nigerian man living in the UK, was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of false imprisonment and two counts of sexual assault.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard that on November 29, 2024, Odubanjo attacked a 21-year-old woman aboard a train travelling from Shenfield to Chelmsford in Essex. He forced his way into a toilet cubicle, locked the door, restrained her wrists and sexually assaulted her. The victim managed to escape only after falsely claiming she was underage. Moments later, Odubanjo targeted a 17-year-old girl on the same service, exposing himself and later assaulting her before another passenger intervened. He was arrested at Hatfield Peverel station.
In addition to his prison sentence, the court imposed strict restrictions, including a Sexual Harm Prevention Order barring him from consuming alcohol or substances on public transport or railway property.
Last year, another case shocked the UK health sector when Adewale Kudabo, a Nigerian healthcare worker at York Hospital, was jailed for sexually assaulting a patient by kissing her against her will on two occasions. Kudabo, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and was sentenced to one year in prison. The court ruled that he abused the trust placed in him as a caregiver, noting that the victim now suffers anxiety and flashbacks as a result of the assaults.
British authorities stress that sexual offences cut across all nationalities, but the clustering of recent convictions involving Nigerians has sparked concern within diaspora communities and renewed calls for better orientation and behavioural awareness for migrants.
In a statement, New Daily Prime urged Nigerian community leaders and authorities to prioritise rapid orientation programmes for Nigerians living in the UK, focusing on cultural expectations, legal boundaries and the severe consequences of sexual misconduct.
UK police continue to encourage victims and witnesses to report sexual offences promptly, emphasising that swift reporting can prevent further harm and ensure justice. As courts impose increasingly tough sentences, authorities say the message is clear: sexual violence will not be tolerated, regardless of who commits it or where it occurs.
