The Kebbi State High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for raping an 18-year-old married woman (deaf).
The convicts jailed on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, are Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar, and Bashar Dan-Inno.
The prosecution counsel, Faridah Muhammad, told the court that the convicts, who were facing a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and rape, perpetrated the act at Wararin Zaromawa village in Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Muhammad said: “The defendants broke into the victim’s house, while she was asleep and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.
“They 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.”
The lawyer prayed the court to convict the defendants as charged because the law imposed a mandatory sentence.
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She said criminal conspiracy and rape were offences punishable under sections 259 and 60 of the Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021.
The lawyer had earlier called three witnesses and tendered six exhibits of both English and Hausa statements of the three prosecution witnesses in support of her case.
The defence counsel, Ahmed Abubakar-Filgila, called the three convicts to give evidence and testify to their defence without tendering any document or exhibit.
The lawyer prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
Delivering judgement on Wednesday, presiding judge Justice Shamsudeen Jafar said the prosecution established all the ingredients of carnal knowledge of the victim (name withheld).
Justice Jafar said: “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 criminal conspiracy to commit rape was established beyond reasonable doubt by the prosecution.
“The court has no option than to act upon the evidence before it.
“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.”
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