70 year old gets 30 years jail term for raping 9 year old in Niger State 

A Magistrate Court in Minna Niger State has sentenced a 70-year-old Mohammed Sani Umar, to 30 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping a 9-year-old girl, Amina Mahmud.

The suspect, who pleaded guilty to the crime has vowed to appeal the case.

The Senior Magistrate Safuratu Abdulkareem Mahmud of Magistrate Court III, Anguwan Daji Minna, while giving her judgement said Sani Umar was found guilty of the offence.

Consequently, the Magistrate explained that the suspect has been sentenced to 30 years in prison without an option of fine.

According to her, Mohammed Sani Umar confessed to committing the offence and the medical report received has revealed that there was penetration.

She also stated that the jail term was in line with Section 18, Subsection 2 of the Child’s Rights Act (2010) of Niger State

The Prosecutor had earlier presented two witnesses that include the victim and the Police Officer who investigated the case and recorded the confessional statement of the suspect.

Also, little Amina Mahmud in her testimony told the court that the suspect had carnal knowledge of her on two occasions.

On why she did not tell anyone, the nine-year-old said, “he threatened me with a snake not to tell anyone and also gave me the sum of N50.”

However, Sani who admitted before the court that he raped the nine-year-old stated that he loved her, and will appeal the judgement.

Sani was arrested a few days after the mother of Amina noticed an abnormal behaviour in her which led to questioning and a revelation that she was defiled by the convict.

The Uncle to the victim, Abubakar Saidun Arah in a chat stated that the little girl was sick for some weeks and after treatment given to her, she was still not getting better.

He said, ” then, a neighbour advised her mother to keep a close watch on the girl, which the mother started doing. After some days, she saw some stains on her underwear and asked her what happened to her.”

Arah added that little Amina was taken by her mother to Sanis’ place and on reaching there, she just pointed at him, adding that on sighting the woman and the girl, he started begging them to cover the issue up, that he will take responsibility.