Kano Court Jails Man 20 Years for Rape of 85-Year-Old Woman

(Man In Prison. Photo by Lagos Ministry of Justice)

A Kano State High Court has sentenced a 32-year-old man, Muhammad Zulfalalu, popularly known as “Mai Siket”, to 20 years in prison for r@ping an 85-year-old woman in Kiru Local Government Area of the state.

Justice Aisha Mahmoud delivered the judgment after finding the defendant guilty on a nine-count charge bordering on r@pe and housebreaking, ruling that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Zulfalalu was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for r@pe and an additional six years for housebreaking, with both terms to run concurrently.

The court also awarded N500,000 in compensation to the victim.

Prosecution counsel Aisha Adamu told the court that the offences were committed between August 2019 and June 2020 at Gidan Kwano, Kwanar Dangora, in Kiru LGA.

She stated that the convict unlawfully entered the victim’s residence under cover of darkness and s£xually @ss@ulted her, adding that Zulfalalu had a pattern of breaking into homes at night before his eventual arrest.

The prosecution presented six witnesses and argued that the offences contravened Sections 283 and 356 of the Penal Code.

Reacting to the verdict, Kano State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Maude (SAN), described the conviction as a landmark in the state’s efforts to combat s£xual and gender-based violence.

In a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dr Abubakar Ibrahim, Maude said the judgment would bolster public confidence in the justice system and underscore the government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable members of society.

He commended the prosecution team for its professionalism in securing the conviction.