Minna Court Sends 25 Year Old Man to Prison Over Child Abuse

(The Suspect. Photo by X/CDR AFRICA)

A 25-year-old man named Bala Aliyu was given a 13-year prison sentence and 20 canings by a Minna Senior Magistrate’s Court for sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in the Bosso neighborhood of Minna, Niger State.

Additionally, Aliyu was ordered by Senior Magistrate Samira Jibrin Wambai of Court No. 9 to compensate the victim with ₦250,000.

Aliyu was given the 20 strokes in front of his family and the community at the palace of Bosso’s District Head, Malam Muazu Adamu Laka.

Under the direction of Ummul-Kalthume Muhammad, Director-General of the Niger State Child Rights Protection Agency (NSCRPA), the case was prosecuted.

Muhammad responded to the ruling by calling it a major victory in the battle against gender-based violence and child sexual abuse.

She urged communities to cease shielding offenders and report suspected abuse to the police, warning offenders that the state would not hide them from prosecution.

Aisha Ashafa, the Niger State Ministry of Justice’s prosecuting attorney, added that the ruling established a precedent.

Ashafa revealed that the victim’s mother had first thot about dropping the case, but she ultimately decided to let it go after realizing how crucial it was to seek justice.

She advised community members, parents, and traditional leaders to notify the NSCRPA or the police as soon as they suspect child abuse.

Malam Muazu Adamu Laka, the district head of Bosso, also expressed satisfaction with the court order’s implementation, stating that it will serve as a deterrence to others and help locals realize how terrible child sexual abuse is.