A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday convicted and sentenced one Laminu Ahmed for raping a seven-year-old girl.
Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi committed him to prison while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The trial judge held that the prosecutor from the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice headed by Mrs Yewande Awopetu successfully proved the case.
According to the prosecution, Laminu had on January 3, 2023, asked the victim (name withheld) to bring him a plate of food from her mother at Zuba Fruit Market, Abuja, before luring her to a public bathroom in the market.
The prosecution added that upon entering the bathroom, the convict locked the door behind them and then proceeded to forcefully kiss her, inserting his forefinger into her vagina, before raping her and clamping his hands over her mouth while she attempted to scream.
According to the prosecution, the convict after the act, threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone but the little girl was brave enough to tell her mother about the rape upon her return from a friend’s naming ceremony.
The SGBV counsel said the local vigilantes were alerted and immediately arrested the defendant and handed him over to the Police. The defendant confessed to the crime at the Police Station in Zuba and at the FCT Command where the matter was later transferred.
The defendant was charged to court by the SGBV response unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice (representing the AGF), on an eight-count charge for the offences of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and sexual abuse under the Child Rights Act; Rape, Intimidation and Infliction of bodily injury under the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) 2015; as well as Criminal force under the Penal Code.
However, the defendant upon arraignment in June 2023 pleaded not guilty to all eight counts.
The prosecution then opened its case against the defendant, calling witnesses and tendering evidence including the defendant’s confessional statement, confessional video, medical report and report of investigation as well as the statements of the victim and her mother to the police as proof of investigation.
Speaking after the judgement, Awopetu described it as a win for the Justice Sector particularly the SGBV Response Unit in conjunction with the Gender Unit of the FCT Police Command and the FCT Judiciary, in their fight against sexual violence in our society.
She said, “It is also a warning to would-be perpetrators that the long arm of the law will definitely catch up with them. A key lesson for parents in this case is never to leave their kids unattended in a public place.
“Laminu Ahmed’s name will be included in the Sexual Offender’s Register as is required by law,” she added.