By Emem Nsini-Godwin
A Senior Magistrate’s Court in Minna, Niger State, has sentenced four men to a cumulative 95 years in prison for gang-raping and impregnating a 13-year-old girl in Kontagora in 2023.
The convicts – Salisu Shehu Baura, Lawali Shaibu, Haruna Musa Sa’idu, and a fourth man identified only as Bello – are all from Kontagora town. Bello, who was granted bail during trial, did not appear for judgment and was sentenced in absentia; he is now at large.
Delivering judgment at Minna Senior Magistrate Court No. 4, Senior Magistrate Christy Umar Barau sentenced the first three convicts to 20 years each for unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and five years each for joint act, while Bello was sentenced to 20 years for unlawful sexual intercourse with a child.
According to evidence before the court, the men took turns sexually assaulting the minor under threat before giving her N1,400. They were arrested by operatives of the Kontagora Divisional Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and handed over to the state command headquarters for prosecution.
Barau described the convicts’ conduct as “animalistic, inhuman and heartless,” and said the court could not afford to be lenient given the rising number of rape cases in the state and across the country.
“The act of these convicts is animalistic, inhuman and heartless. The court will not be fair to the victim if appropriate punishment is not served on them to serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.
She noted that although the convicts had shown remorse throughout the trial, that alone did not warrant leniency. “Though the convicts really showed remorse throughout the trial, that does not mean they should go unpunished. The case of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child is a serious offence, especially as incidents of rape are on the increase,” she said.
The men were arraigned on charges of joint act and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child under Section 97 of the Penal Code Law and Section 26(1) of the Child Rights Law of Niger State, 2023, according to the First Information Report (FIR) tendered in court. Although the convicts had earlier admitted to the offences, the court entered a plea of not guilty to allow a full trial, giving the prosecution the opportunity to establish its case with evidence and witnesses and enabling the court to impose what it called “the deserved punishment.”
During trial, the prosecution called three witnesses – the victim, her father, and the investigating NSCDC officer – and tendered five exhibits, including video and written statements from the convicts, the victim’s statement, a medical report confirming penetration, and a voice recording. Faced with this evidence, the defence did not present a case for the convicts.
Defence counsel Mohammed Jibrin Lemu appealed to the court for leniency, citing the convicts’ remorse throughout proceedings, but the plea did not sway the sentencing.
Reacting to the verdict, the spokesman for the Niger State Command of the NSCDC, Mohammad Mute, thanked the court, saying the command had long awaited the judgment.
