Three men sentenced to life in jail for raping deaf woman in Kebbi

Justice Sharafadeen Jafar of the Kebbi State High Court, Birnin Kebbi, on Wednesday, sentenced three men to life imprisonment for raping an am 18-year-old deaf woman.

The convicts are – Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar, and Bashar Dan-Inno of Warfarin Zaromawa village – were arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and rape.

The prosecution counsel, Faridah Muhammad, in her submission, told the court the convicts perpetrated the act at Wararin Zaromawa village in Gwandu local government area of the state.

She said: “The defendants had broken into the victim’s house, while she was asleep and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.

“They had 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 counsel urged the court to convict the defendants because the law imposed a mandatory sentence.

She said criminal conspiracy and rape were offenses punishable under sections 259 and 60 of the Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021.

The prosecution 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 defense counsel, Ahmed Abubakar-Filgila, called the three convicts to give evidence and testify to their defense without tendering any document or exhibit.

He urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

In his judgment, Justice Jafar said the prosecution had established all the ingredients of carnal knowledge of the victim.

READ ALSO: Teenager jailed six months for attempting to rape 35-year-old woman in Ogun

“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 a criminal conspiracy to commit rape were 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 under section 259 and section 60 of Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021,” he declared.

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