Court Jails man 15 years for defiling five-year-old girl in Kano

A Kano State High Court, led by Justice Maryam Sabo, sentenced Shamsu Adamu to 14 years in prison with hard labor for the rape of a minor.

Adamu, an adult residing in Kunture within the Ungogo Local Government Area, was convicted under section 283 of the Penal Code Law for his crime.

To establish the case against him, the prosecution, represented by Barr A.U. Adamu, called three witnesses, including the victim, neighbors, and a police officer involved in the investigation.

The witnesses testified that on June 7, 2021, around 4:00 PM, Adamu lured the victim into a room connected to his house, raped her, and then forced her out before fleeing the scene.

When the charges were presented, Adamu pleaded not guilty and chose to testify as his sole defense witness.

He faced two counts: rape under section 283 and an unnatural offense punishable under section 284 of the Penal Code.

In her ruling, Justice Sabo stated that while there was no direct evidence linking Adamu to the crime, the circumstantial evidence presented during the trial was compelling. Notably, the victim’s mother testified about finding blood on her daughter’s private parts, and the prosecution led investigators to Adamu’s room. Justice Sabo expressed confidence that the prosecution had proven the rape charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

As a result, she declared, “I find you, Shamsu Adamu, guilty of the offense of rape under Section 282 of the Penal Code Law, punishable under Section 283. I hereby sentence you to 14 years of imprisonment with hard labor in a correctional facility.”

However, Justice Sabo noted that the evidence presented was insufficient to support the charge of an unnatural offense.

“The testimony of PW3 did not adequately establish the unnatural offense against the defendant. Therefore, I discharge and acquit the defendant of the charge under Section 284 of the Penal Code.”