Saturday, November 16, 2024 - A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has convicted and sentenced one Laminu Ahmed, 36, to life imprisonment for the r3pe of a seven-year-old girl
Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi sentenced the defendant on Thursday,
November 14, 2024
The Office of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), in a statement on Friday, said that the
trial judge in delivering judgment held that the prosecutor from the Sexual and
Gender Based Violence unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice headed Mrs
Yewande Awopetu successfully proved the case.
According to the FG, the convict had on 3rd January 2023 asked the
victim (name withheld) to bring him a plate of food from her mother who was
selling at the Zuba Fruit Market, Abuja, and lured her to follow him with the
food to a public bathroom in the market.
He locked the door as soon as she entered and proceeded to sexually
abuse and r3pe her by forcefully kissing her, inserting his forefinger into her
vagina and then his p3nis and r3ped her.
He clamped his hands over her mouth when she attempted to scream and
threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone. Nevertheless, the little girl
was brave enough to tell her mother about the r3pe on her return. The mother
had gone out to attend a friend’s naming ceremony when the incident occurred.
She and the father immediately reported the matter to the local
vigilante who arrested the defendant and handed him over to the Police.
The defendant confessed to the crime at the Police Station in Zuba and
at the FCT Command where the matter was later transferred.
The defendant was charged to court by Prosecution Counsel from the SGBV
Response Unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice (representing the AGF), on an
eight count charge for the offences of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child
and s3xual abuse under the Child Rights Act; Rape, Intimidation and Infliction
of bodily injury under the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP)
2015; and Criminal force under the Penal Code.
However, the defendant upon arraignment in June 2023 pleaded not guilty
to all eight counts.
The prosecution opened its case against the defendant, called witnesses
and tendered evidence including the defendant’s confessional statement and
confessional video, medical report and report of investigation as well as the
statements of the victim and her mother to the police as proof of
investigation.
According to the AGF, despite Laminu’s futile attempts to deny making
the confessional statement and his claim that he was forced to confess, the
prosecution succeeded in proving its case against him and he was convicted and
sentenced for the heinous crime he committed against the seven-year-old
survivor.
Awopetu described it as a win for the Justice Sector, particularly the
SGBV Response Unit in conjunction with the Gender Unit of the FCT Police
Command and the FCT Judiciary, in their fight against the scourge of sexual
violence in our society.
“It is also a warning to would-be perpetrators that the long arm of the
law will catch up with them. A key lesson for parents in this case is never to
leave their kids unattended in a public place,” Awopetu said.
“Laminu Ahmed’s name will be included in the Sexual Offender’s Register
as is required by law,"
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