Man jailed for sexually assaulting 8-yr-old-girl

A Kano State High Court on Wednesday sentenced a man, identified as Ibrahim Sale, to six years in imprisonment for gross indecency in assaulting an 8-year-old girl.

The man, who resides at Darmanawa Quarters, Kano, was arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy; as well as rape and act of gross indecency.

The presiding Judge, Justice Usman Na’abba, held that the prosecution did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt; notably on the allegation of rape.

“There was no evidence of penetration tendered before the court,” he said.

However, Na’abba sentenced the defendant to six years’ imprisonment starting from the first day of arrest for act of gross indecency.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Hafsat Kabir-Sanusi, had told the court that the man committed the offence on July 24, 2017 at Darmanawa Quarters, Kano. Kabir-Sanusi alleged that on the same date at about 4pm; Sale criminally conspired with one Sa’adu Ibrahim, a driver, who had sexual intercourse with the minor on different occasions.

She said that Ibrahim, the first defendant and driver of the victim, raped her on different occasions; especially when he brought her back from school.

The prosecutor told the court that Ibrahim became ill and was diagnosed of liver cirrhosis and hepatitis; adding that he died in prison in December 2019 at about 7am while awaiting trial.

According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened sections 97, 283 and 284 of the Penal Code of Kano State 2014 as amended.

Meanwhile, an Abuja-based pastor, identified as Stephen Kalu, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for rape.

It was reported that the sentence was handed down by Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court, Nyanya, on Wednesday.

The pastor, 29, was jailed for raping a 17- year-old girl.

Equally important, the convict, a pastor of Adoration Ministry, Karshi, Abuja; was arraigned before the court by the police on a two-count charge of rape on October 16, 2019. Counsel for the prosecution, Donatus Abah said the convict raped the 17-year-old girl on October 28, 2018; adding that the incident happened at his residence in Karshi, Abuja, without her consent.