Rape: 70-year-old man jailed for life in Jigawa

A Jigawa High Court sitting in Kazaure has found two men, including a 70-year-old, guilty of rape and has sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Justice Hussaina Adamu Aliyu, who presided over the case found one Alto Ado, 70, guilty of raping two minors at a time and sentenced him accordingly.

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The judge also found one Murtala Idris guilty of raping a 6-year-old girl and gave him the life sentence.

The first convict, a watchman, had on October 14, 2020, lured two minors aged seven and nine into an uncompleted building in Cikin Gari area of Kazaure town and had sexual intercourse with them one after the other.

The defendant was later arrested and charged to court for the offence of rape. The prosecution in proving the case called five witnesses and presented medical report on the victim.

The second convict, Idris, raped a six-year old in Sada village in Yankwashi, an offence punishable under Section 3 of the Penal Code (Miscellaneous Amendment) Law, 2014.

Three witnesses testified for the prosecution including the victim and a medical report was tendered and admitted in evidence.

The defendants denied the allegation.

The judge while delivering the judgments said the prosecution proved the cases beyond reasonable doubt, therefore, he found the defendants guilty of the offence of rape and were sentenced to life imprisonment.

In another case, the High Court of Justice sitting at Gumel, presided over by Justice A.M. Sambo discharged and acquitted one Ahmadu Sule (alias Soja) of Sugungun Village, Garki Local Government Area for want of evidence on allegation of rape.

The defendant was arraigned before the court on January 28, 2020 on the charge of rape, which was allegedly committed on  August 8, 2017. It was alleged that the defendant on that date had sexual intercourse with a six-year-old-girl. But the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.

The prosecution in proving its case called three witnesses and tendered an extra judicial statement of the defendant and a medical report, while the defendant testified as the sole witness for his defence.

The presiding judge held that the victim testified before the court that the defendant only put his finger in her private parts and nothing more.

The medical report also reveals no penetration to establish rape or any lesser offence. 

The court conclusively found that the prosecution failed to prove the charge or any other offence beyond reasonable doubt. It therefore discharged and acquitted the defendant.