A senior magistrate’s court in Minna, Niger State, has sentenced a 25-year-old man, Bala Aliyu, to 13 years’ imprisonment for sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl.
Samira Wambai of Minna Senior Magistrate’s Court No. 9 also ordered the convict to pay N250,000 as compensation to the victim and receive 20 strokes of the horsewhip.
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Mr Aliyu, a resident of Bosso town, was publicly flogged at the palace of the district head of the town, Muazu Laka, in the presence of members of his family and community residents.
The prosecution was handled by the Niger State Child Rights and Protection Agency (NSCRPA).
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Speaking after the enforcement of the court’s order, the agency’s director-general, Ummul-Khaltume Muhammed described the judgement as an important step towards strengthening efforts to combat child sexual abuse and gender-based violence in the state.
“We will not compromise in ensuring that such people face the full weight of the law. We will not allow such persons to move freely in our streets. The full wrath of justice will be visited on perpetrators of these crimes against our girl child,” she said.
She urged parents and community members to stop protecting or shielding perpetrators and instead report suspected cases of child abuse promptly to the appropriate authorities.
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Mother initially considered withdrawing case
The prosecuting counsel from the state Ministry of Justice, Aisha Ashafa, described the judgement as a precedent-setting decision.
Ms Ashafa disclosed that the victim’s mother initially considered withdrawing the case but later allowed the legal process to continue after she was made to understand the importance of pursuing justice for the child.
She urged parents, traditional rulers and community leaders to speak out against sexual abuse and report suspected cases to the NSCRPA or the police.
The district head of Bosso, Mr Laka, expressed satisfaction with the public enforcement of the sentence, saying it would help residents understand the seriousness of child sexual abuse and discourage others from committing similar offences.
Similar cases in Niger
The conviction adds to a growing list of child sexual abuse cases prosecuted in Niger State.
In June, a Minna senior magistrate’s court sentenced four men to a combined 95 years in prison for gang-raping and impregnating a 13-year-old girl in Kontagora.
The convicts — Salisu Baura, Lawali Shaibu, Haruna Sa’idu and Bello — were convicted of joint act and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child. The court described the offence as “animalistic, inhuman and heartless.”
In another case reported in 2025, a chief magistrate’s court in Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area, sentenced 23-year-old Bello Hassan to life imprisonment for raping a 10-year-old girl.
The court additionally ordered 12 strokes of the cane and N200,000 compensation for the victim. The conviction was secured under Section 26(1) of the Niger State Child Rights Law.
Earlier, a Minna senior magistrate’s court sentenced 55-year-old Yau Ibrahim to life imprisonment for sexually abusing a six-year-old girl in Rafi Local Government Area.
The victim reportedly suffered injuries and was subsequently diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.
There have also been cases involving younger offenders.
READ ALSO: Anambra court sentences two to death for rape, murder of 17-yr-old
In one reported incident, two men were sentenced to five years each for sexually abusing minors in Minna. One of the victims was eight years old, while the other was a 10-year-old girl who was repeatedly abused.
More recently, the National Human Rights Commission reported that its first-quarter 2026 review included several cases of child defilement in Niger State, including allegations involving children aged four, five, 10 and 12.
The repeated cases have continued to draw attention to the vulnerability of children and the need for stronger community reporting, effective prosecution and sustained enforcement of child-protection laws.
The latest conviction in Bosso therefore comes against the backdrop of several prosecutions in Niger State, where authorities have increasingly emphasised the need to ensure that perpetrators of sexual violence against children are held accountable.
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