Laleye Dipo in Minna
A Minna Magistrate Court in Niger State has sentenced 70-year-old Mohammed Sani Umar to 30-year imprisonment with hard labour for raping a nine-year-old girl.
The magistrate, Safuratu Abdulkareem sentenced the convict without giving the option of fine.
The magistrate sentenced Umar after he confessed to the crime saying that he raped the girl because he loved her.
Abdulkareem said the sentence was in line with Section 18 (2) of the Niger State Child’s Rights Act (2010) of Niger State.
The prosecution had called two witnesses one of them the victim and the other the police officer who investigated the case and recorded the confessional statements of the convict.
In her evidence in chief, the victim told the court that the convict had sex with her twice and threatened her with a snake not to tell anyone.
She also said the man gave her N50.
The police prosecution told the court that during investigations the convict
confessed to committing the crime.
According to him, Umar confessed to committing the crime and the medical report showed that there was penetration.
The convict pleaded guilty and did not object to the exhibits tendered but declined to be cross-examined.
The magistrate said the sentence wouldn serve as a deterrent to others who might want to commit such a crime.
