Jigawa court gives Rapist life imprisonment, 10 years for rape attempt, discharges kidnapper on ground of insanity
A Jigawa High Court sitting in Birnin Kudu local government, presided over by Honourable Justice Musa Ubale, on Tuesday (the of 18th January 2022) delivered judgment in a case of Rape against one Musa Mu’azu from Birnin Kudu town.
The public relations officer, Jigawa State ministry of justice, Zainab Baba Santali, disclosed in a press release she signed on Friday that Musa was charged with the offence of raping a 15-year-old girl.
The fact of the case was that the defendant was seen coming out of an uncompleted building with the victim in a suspicious manner and upon inquiries by the person who saw the defendant with the victim, the defendant confessed to have taken the victim to the building and had illicit sexual intercourse with her.
However, the defendant pleaded for the issue to be covered up. The case was reported to the police and investigation pursued. The defendant, during police interrogation, confessed to have committed the offence of rape but denied the charges on arraignment.
The prosecution in establishing the case called four witnesses and tendered three exhibits, while the defendant testified in his defence.
Delivering the Judgement, Justice Musa Ubale held that the prosecution had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt, and thereby sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment for the offence of Rape.
Similarly, one Haruna Ali was sentenced in a case of attempted rape on a 7-year-old girl from Yarma Village of Birnin Kudu local government.
The fact of the case was that the defendant forcefully held the hand of the victim and dragged her to a nearby farm, removed her clothes and was about to rape her when the prosecution witness arrived at the scene of the crime.
The defendant in his extra judicial statement confessed to have attempted to have sexual intercourse with the 7-year-old girl.
In proof of the case, the prosecution tendered medical report, which stated that there was no penetration as her hymen was intact and normal.
The prosecution further called five witnesses and two exhibits and closed its case while the defendant testified in his defence and closed his case.
Honourale Justice Musa Ubale held that the prosecution had successfully proved the case of an attempt to commit rape beyond reasonable doubt, and sentenced the defendant to ten years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The same court passed judgement in a case of kidnapping of a 6-year-old boy against one Safiyanu Rabiu from Sara town of Gwaram local government.
The defendant was accused to have lured four children who are siblings and children of his neighbors with five naira notes to buy sweets for themselves and took away the fourth one to the house of a senior sister to the child’s mother and told her that the parent of the child had traveled.
The defendant told the aunty of the victim of the crime that he will come back the following day to pick the child. The parents lodged complaint of missing child to the police.
The defendant later gave a phone call to the neighbor of the child and requested him to inform the parents that their son had been kidnapped and demanded ransom of N700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) or their child will be killed. The defendant went further to tell the neighbor that he should also bring N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) or he will also be kidnapped and killed.
The defendant was later arrested and on interrogation he confessed to have committed the crime.
In proving the case, the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered one exhibit then closed its case.
In his own defense, the defendant called three witnesses, including a medical officer from Kazaure Psychiatric Hospital and tendered one exhibit; a medical certificate.
The court while delivering its judgment held that the prosecution had successfully proved their case, but the defendant was able to successfully raise and prove the defence of insanity at the time of committing the offence. The court therefore discharged and acquitted him.
In a separate case at another High Court sitting in Dutse, presided over by Honourable Justice Abdulhadi Yalwa Suleiman, the court discharged and acquitted one Dan-Ubale Hassan who was arraigned for the offence of rape.
Mr. Hassan was accused of defiling a 9-year-old girl in Taraya Village of Jahun Local government area.
The prosecution had called witnesses including the prosecutrix and a medical officer and extra judicial statements of the defendant were tendered and admitted in evidence.
On the part of the defendant, he testified by himself and closed his defence.
The court found that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable and as such, the defendant was exonerated.
Share your views on the story with OnlineNews in the comments section.
