From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Magistrate Court 3, sitting in Birnin Kebbi and presided over by Magistrate Atiku Abubakar, has ordered the remand of two boys at the correctional centre for allegedly impregnating and raping two teenagers in Gwandu and Ambursa towns, respectively.
Magistrate Abubakar made the order after listening to the prosecutor, Inspector Muhammad Kamba, and taking the pleas of the defendants on Wednesday, July 2.
Kamba informed the Court that four months ago, the first defendant, Faruq Malami, a resident of Dalijan village in Gwandu LGA, allegedly assaulted and had sexual intercourse with one Fatima Abubakar, a 14-year-old girl of the same address, threatening to kill her if she told anyone about what happened.
He told the court that the defendant also seized her handset after he had raped her, which resulted in a four-month-old pregnancy.
According to him, the offence is contrary to sections 241, 259, 378, and 138 of the Penal Code of Kebbi State Criminal Law as amended.
Similarly, the second defendant, Aminu Abubakar, a resident of Sabon Birnin in Ambursa town, was arraigned for allegedly raping an 8-year-old girl, Aminat Abubakar, on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
He was arraigned over alleged gross indecency, criminal force, causing hurt, and defilement of a child.
Prosecutor Inspector Muhammad Kamba told the court that the defendant dragged his victim to an uncompleted building where he forcefully had sexual intercourse with the teenager, causing injuries and bruises to her private parts.
He told the court that the offences are contrary to sections 261, 241, 222, and 210 of the Penal Code of Kebbi State Criminal Law as amended.
When the charges were read to the two defendants, they pleaded that the allegations against them were not true.
The police prosecutor informed the court that the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matters and sought an adjournment of the cases till Wednesday, July 16, 2025, to enable the police to complete their investigations while awaiting advice from the Ministry of Justice.
He urged the court to also remand the defendants at the correctional centre until the adjourned date.
While ruling on the matter, Magistrate Atiku Abubakar ordered that the defendants be remanded at the correctional centre and adjourned the two cases till Wednesday, July 16, 2025, pending the advice of the Ministry of Justice on the matters.
The two cases were brought to the court by Nana Girls and Women Empowerment Initiative, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) supported by UNICEF.