Court convicts man, 48, for defiling 6-year-old girl, police apprehend drug baron in Jigawa
Story from Dahiru SULEIMAN, Dutse
A Jigawa High Court sitting in Birnin Kudu has sentenced a 48-year-old man to life imprisonment for defiling a six-year-old girl and infecting her with HIV/AIDs.
The presiding judge, Honourable Justice Musa Ubale, who delivered the judgment against Idris Munkaila (alias Dan Asabe) of Gwaram Local Government, said the offence of rape is punishable under Section 283 of the Penal Code Law of Jigawa State.
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The Court had also discharged and acquitted one Abubakar Garba from Buji local government, arraigned for the offence of culpable homicide punishable under Section 221 (b) of the Penal Code Laws of Jigawa State 2012.
In the first judgment, the case against Dan Asabe was that “on 26th of June 2017 at Sara Town of Gwaram Local Government Area of the state, the defendant lured a girl of 6-year-old (name withheld) and had sexual intercourse with her. Mr Munkaila warned the victim not to tell anyone. A few days later, the mother of the victim observed that there was a whitish discharge coming from the private part of the girl. Upon enquiry, the victim told her mother that it was the defendant who had sexual intercourse with her.
“Evidence before the court reveals that the defendant previously had extramarital affair with the sister of the victim when she was about to get married to her suitor and during pre-marital HIV test, she was discovered to be HIV positive. The sister of the victim informed her parents that it was the defendant who infected her with HIV. The marriage was cancelled and the sister of the victim was married to the defendant based on an arrangement by their families.
“However, the mother of the victim, having known the defendant’s HIV status took her 6-year-old daughter to the hospital for medical test. The defendant was later arrested and charged to court for the offence of rape”, the prosecution said.
In proof of the case, the prosecution counsel called five (5) witnesses and tendered two (2) exhibits while the defendant testified for himself. Both counsels to the parties addressed the court.
Honourable Justice Musa Ubale found that the prosecution counsel had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, therefore, convicted the defendant and sentenced him to life imprisonment as provided under the Jigawa State Penal Code Miscellaneous Amendment, 2014.
Similarly, Honourable Justice Musa Ubale discharged and acquitted one Abubakar Garba from Maduba Fulani Settlement of Buji Local Government, arraigned for the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 (b) of the Penal Code Laws of Jigawa State 2012.
The facts of the case were that, in the year 2018, the defendant was said to have used an axe and caused serious injury to one Abubakar Juli which led to his death. The deceased was said to have been hailed from the same community as the defendant. The defendant was arrested and charged to court, but he denied the charge.
In proving the case, the prosecution called two witnesses and tendered two exhibits, then closed its case. While the defendant testified as a witness in his own defence and closed his case.
Delivering its judgment, His Lordship held that the prosecution failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt; therefore, the defendant was discharged and acquitted.
In a related development, the State Police Command arrested a 48-year-old man, suspected to be a hard drug dealer in Hadejia Local Government Area, the Command Spokesman, ASP Lawan Shiisu said in a statement issued and signed in Dutse.
He said that the suspect was arrested at Gandun Sarki quarters in Hadejia by a team of policemen while on surveillance patrol. Also added that the suspect was in possession of 43 bottles of substance suspected to be hard drugs.
ASP Lawan Shiisu further stated that the police also arrested six suspected criminals in Kiyawa local government area during a raid in their hideouts at Balago village.
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