A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Kaduna has ordered 10 suspects to be remanded in the correctional facility over allegation of raping a 16-year-old physically challenged girl at Likoro Village in Kudan local government area of Kaduna state.
Although the suspects are 11 in number, our correspondent gathered that the 11th suspect was still at large when the case came up on Thursday.
The suspects, according to the First Information Report (FIR), raped the victim continuously at different intervals by luring her into their various places where they had canal knowledge of her, an act which resulted in pregnancy through which the victim gave birth to a baby boy four months ago.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Yakubu Lemu averred that the act is a contravention of Section 257 of the Kaduna State Penal Code.
He said, “According to the FIR on 27th October, 2024, at 6:30pm, one Usman Yusuf reported that he discovered that his younger sister, Fatima Maikanti was six months pregnant. He said, when questioned, she revealed that at different locations, at different times the suspects decieved her 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 contravenes Section 257 of the Kaduna State Penal Code.”
The trial 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 22nd May, 2025 for mention.
Speaking to Journalists after the court session, the Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development in the state, Hajiya Rabi Salisu assured that the state government will pursue the case until justice is served.
“The victim was raped continuously when she was 14-years-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.”
She added that the Kaduna state government also has laws that protect women and children and even vulnerable people “the Child Protection and Social Welfare and the Violence Against Persons (VAP) laws as well as the sex offender registry where we register the names of offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.”
She described the case as ‘pathetic’ revealing that both the victim’s parents are visually-impaired while she also has one eye.
She added, “The girl has given birth now; a child of four months old. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) that was handling the case and now retired, had silence the case, but with the help of the Commissioner of Police (CP), the case has been reopened as a fresh case because the incident happen over a year now and she has a four month old child.
“The former DPO arrested them and also released them on bail. Capital offense is not supposed to be granted bail that is why we reopened the case as a fresh case to re-arrest them,” the commissioner disclosed.
She disclosed that the state government will take care of the social welfare of the child and the mother “because she is also a child, so they are going to be under our care for their social protection.”
She further strongly warned the public that the state government will not tolerate any act of abuse, torture and molestation of women and children, especially, people with disability.
