Three men were on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment by a Kebbi High Court 7, sitting in Birnin Kebbi,for raping an 18-year-old deaf girl in the state.
Justice Shamsudeen Jafar, handed the sentence to the culprits; Amiru Sani, Aliyu Umar, and Bashar Dan-Inno of Wararin Zaromawa village.
According to the prosecution counsel, Faridah Muhammad, the convicts were sentenced on two counts of criminal conspiracy and rape, offences punishable under sections 259 and 60 of the Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021.
The offences were committed at Wararin Zaromawa village in Gwandu Local Government Area of the state.
The prosecution told the court that the convicts broke into the victim’s house while she was asleep and forcefully raped her.
“They choked her with a thick piece of cloth and tied her hands with a rope before having carnal knowledge of her one by one,” the prosecution said.
During trial, three witnesses were called while six exhibits were also tendered
The defence counsel, Ahmaed Abubakar-Filgila, had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
In his judgment, Justice Jafar, stated that the prosecution had proved all the elements of carnal knowledge of the victim.
“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 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 but to act upon the evidence before it,” he said.
The judge therefore sentenced the convicts accordingly.