The Kebbi State High Court has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the brutal rape of an 18-year-old deaf woman. The convicts, Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar, and Bashar Dan-Inno, were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and rape.
According to court documents, the defendants broke into the victim’s house, choked her with a cloth, and tied her hands with a rope before raping her one by one.
The Prosecution Counsel, Faridah Muhammad, in her submission, said the convicts perpetrated the act at Wararin Zaromawa village in Gwandu Local Government Area of the state.
“The defendants had broken into the victim’s house, while she was asleep and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.
“They had choked her with a thick piece of cloth and tied her two hands with a rope before having carnal knowledge of her one-by-one,” she said.
In his ruling, Hon. Justice Shamsudeen Jafar described the offences as “heinous and reprehensible,” noting that the defendants took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability.
“I am of the firm view that all the defendants conspired in perpetrating the act. Meanwhile, the convicts conspired and raped the victim, who is an 18-year-old deaf, who is also a married woman, at her husband’s residence.
“All ingredients needed to establish a criminal conspiracy to commit rape were established beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution. The court has no option than to act upon the evidence before it,” he said.
The judge emphasized that the sentence reflects the severity of the crime and serves as a deterrent to potential offenders.
“Having found you guilty of the charge, you Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar and Bashar Dan-Inno, are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for finding all of you guilty under section 259 and section 60 of Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021,” the judge ruled.