27-year-old man sentenced to life imprisonment for raping teenager in Jigawa

A High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State, has convicted a 27-year-old man, Suleiman Ahmed, of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The court also sentenced another person found guilty of the same crime to 21 years in jail.

However, the court equally discharged and acquitted another suspect.

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A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Justice, Zainab Baba Santali, in Dutse, said Ahmed of Lutai village in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of the State, committed the crime on March 15, 2020, in Babaldu town.

According to the statement, the convict had lured an 11-year-old girl into an uncompleted building where he raped her.

The statement noted that the prosecution, led by the state Attorney-General, Musa Aliyu, presented four witnesses after the defendant denied the charges.

Two of the girl’s friends, who testified before the court, said that they had seen the convict taking the victim into the uncompleted building, only to find out that he was sexually abusing her.

The trial judge, Musa Ubale, said the prosecution proved their case beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant and sentenced him to life imprisonment.