Court sentences three to life imprisonment for gang-raping deaf woman

From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi

A Kebbi State High Court 7, presided by Justice Shamsudeen Jafar, has sentenced Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar and Bashar Dan-Inno, to life imprisonment for gang-raped an 18-year-old married deaf woman.

Their offences of criminal conspiracy and rape are punishable under sections 259 and section 60 of the Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021.

The Prosecution Counsel, Barrister Faridah Muhammad, in her submission, said the convicts, who were facing two count charges of criminal conspiracy and rape, perpetrated the act at Wararin Zaromawa Village in Gwandu Local Government Area of the state.

She had informed the court that, “the convicts had broken into the victim’s household, while she was sleeping, they forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.

“They had choked her with thick pieces of clothes as well as tied her to two hands with a rope before having carnal knowledge of her one-by-one,” she said.

The counsel prayed the court to convict the defendants as charged because the law imposed a mandatory sentence.

The offences of criminal conspiracy and rape are punishable under sections 259 and section 60 of the Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021.

The prosecution called three witnesses and tendered six exhibits of both English and Hausa statements of the three prosecution witnesses in support of her case.

In his defence, the Defence Counsel, Barrister Ahmed Abubakar-Filgila, called the three convicts to give evidence and testify to their defence without tendering any document or exhibit.

The defence counsel prayed to the court to temper justice with mercy to all the defendants during the plea of allucotus.

In his judgment, Hon Justice Shamsudeen Jafar pronounced that the Court found the defendants guilty of all charges.

He said that the prosecution had established all the ingredients of carnal knowledge of the victim (name withheld) through the collaborated statement of the victim and that of the first defendant and found all their evidence not controverted by the defence.

“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 and also a married woman, at her husband’s residence.

“All ingredients needed to establish a criminal conspiracy to commit rape was established beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution. The court has no option but to act upon the evidence before it.

“Similarly, the court holds the view that it has found the first, second and third defendants guilty as charged. You are hereby convicted as charged.

” 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,” he declared.

Justice Jafar, while describing the offences as “heinous and “reprehensible”, noted that the defendants had taken advantage of the victim’s vulnerability.

“This punishment will serve as a deterrent to others who may contemplate committing similar crime,” the judge reprimanded.