Ten suspects have been remanded in the correctional facility for allegedly raping a 16-year-old disabled girl in Likoro, a village in Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
It was gathered that an 11th suspect was still at large when the case came up on Thursday at the Chief Magistrate Court, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna.
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The suspects, according to the police First Information Report (FIR), raped the victim continuously at different intervals by luring her into their various places where they had carnal knowledge of her.
The act resulted in a pregnancy, and the victim gave birth to a baby boy four months ago.
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The prosecutor, Yakubu Lemu, a police inspector, said the act contravened section 257 of the Kaduna State Penal Code.
He said, “According to the FIR on 27th October, 2024 at 6.30 p.m., one Usman Yusuf reported that he discovered that his younger sister, Fatima Maikanti, was six months pregnant.
“When questioned, she revealed that at different locations and different times, the suspects deceived and lured her into their various places in the village and had sexual intercourse with her. As a result, she became pregnant and delivered a baby boy.
“Investigation revealed that each of the suspects had sexual intercourse with the victim at different locations, which contravened section 257 of the Kaduna State Penal Code.”
The judge, Abubakar Lamido, said the court was waiting for advice from the Ministry of Justice and ordered the suspects to be remanded at the correctional centre pending the transfer of the case to the high court.
He then adjourned the matter to 22 May for mention.
Speaking to journalists after the court session, Rabi Salisu, the state Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, assured that the state government would pursue the case until justice was served.
Giving a brief on the matter, she said, “The victim was raped continuously when she was 14-year-old after which she became pregnant. Now she has a baby that she cannot take care of because she is also a baby and too small to handle a child.
“The Kaduna State Government also has laws that protect women and children and even vulnerable people. They include the Child Protection and Social Welfare and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) laws, as well as the sex offenders’ registry, where we register the names of offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.”
Ms Salisu described the case as ‘pathetic’, saying that both the victim’s parents were blind and she also has one eye.
She added, “The girl has given birth now to a child of four months. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who was handling the case, now retired, had hitherto silenced the case, but with the help of the Commissioner of Police (CP), the case has been reopened.
“It has been reopened as a fresh case because the incident happened over a year now and she has a four-month-old child.
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“The former DPO arrested the suspects and released them on bail.”
According to Ms Salisu, suspects of capital offences were not supposed to be granted bail, adding,”that was why we reopened the case as a fresh one to rearrest them.”
She thanked the police commissioner and his team for their quick action in re-arresting the suspects.
Ms Salisu assured that the state would do everything within the law to ensure that the victim received justice.
She said the state government would take care of the child and the mother, saying, “because she is also a child, so they are going to be under our care for their social protection.”
Ms Salisu warned that the state government would not tolerate any act of abuse, torture and molestation of women, children and especially, people with disability.
(NAN)
