Four rapists are to spend the next ninety five years behind the Correctional custodial Centre after they were found guilty of gang-raping a thirteen years old girl and impregnated her by a Minna Senior Magistrate Court number four old Secretariat.
The convicts were arrested by men of the Kontagora Divisional Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),and brought to the State Command headquarters for full prosecution.
The presiding Senior Magistrate,Christy Umar Barau,who handed down the judgement described the act of the convicts as animalistic and heartless.
She held that the convicts were some times in 2023,arraigned by men of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for gang- raping a thirteen years old girl in Kontagora Niger State.
They were said to have taken turn by turn to rape her under threat after which they gave her N1,400.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), made available in court and obtained by journalists,they were arraigned on count charges of joint act and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child,punishable under section 97 of the penal code law,and section 26 (1) of the Child Right law of Niger State 23.
The convicts include,Salisu Shehu Baura,Lawali Shaibu, Haruna Musa Saidu and Bello all of Kontagora town in Niger State,who was granted bail and now at large was convicted in absential.
Senior Magistrate Christy Barau in her judgement held that the four convicts had earlier admitted their offence during their trial but as a result of the gravity of the charges brought against them,” the court entered no plea of guilty and full trial into their has to commence.
This according to her is to enable the prosecution to prove his case against them with all the evidences and witnesses before the court “to enable the court give them the deserving punishment”
During the trial,the Prosecutor called three witnesses which include the victim herself, her Father,and the investigative Civil Defence who investigated the case and five exhibits were tendered.
Among the evidence, the senior Magistrate,disclosed include the video recorded statement of the convicts,their written statement, the statement of the victim,the medical report of the penetration and the voice record of the convicts.
With all the evidence and the testimonies of admittances of the convicts the prosecutor closed his case while the convicts could not enter their defences.
At this point,the presiding Senior Magistrate,said,the prosecutor has proved his case of joint act and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child contrary to section 97 of the penal code and section 26 (1) of the child Right law of Niger State against the convicts.
The defence counsel Mohammed Jibrin Lemu Esq,pleaded behalf of the convicts for the Senior Magistrate to temper justice with Mercy as the convicts have shown remorse throughout their trial in court.
While passing her judgement,Christy Umar Barau noted that “ the convicts really showed remorse throughout the trial and their family needed most and that does not mean they should not go unpunished.
“ The case of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child is a serious case and the case of case of rape is on the increase.
“ The act of these convicts is animalistic and inhuman and heartless. The court will be not fair to the victim if appropriate punishment is not served on them to serve as a deterrent to others
“ The first,the second and the third convicts are hereby convicted and sentenced to twenty years behind the correctional Custody for the offence of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and five years for the offence of joint act,while the fourth convict now at large is to serve twenty years for the offence of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child” she ruled.
She awarded the sum of one million naira to be paid as compensation to the victim by the convict to cushion the psychological trauma she suffered.
