A 55-year-old man has been given a life sentence for defiling a minor by the Senior Magistrates’ Court 3B in Unguwan-Daji, Minna, Niger State. The man, Yau Ibrahim from Kundu village, Rafi LGA, was also found guilty of infecting the victim, a 6-year-old girl, with a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
The court heard that on August 3, 2023, at approximately 3:30 pm, the accused lured the 6-year-old girl, who was in primary 1, into his room and engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse with her. This was reported by Abdullahi Dauda of the same village to the Kagara Police Division, stating that the young girl suffered injuries to her private parts, leading to severe bleeding.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Aliyu Yakubu Kuta, presented two witnesses and two exhibits, including the convict’s confessional statement and the victim’s medical report from the Police Clinic, Minna. The convict admitted his offense during the trial.
In her judgment on January 9, 2024, Judge Hafsat Abdullahi Bawa Wuse acknowledged the plea for leniency but considered the magnitude of the offense and the victim’s health condition as substantial factors. The judge sentenced the convict to life imprisonment at the Minna old correctional center under Section 26 (2) of the Niger State Child Rights Law 2021 as Amended.
