Sophia Michaels
A 23 years old butcher, Zaiyanu Abdullahi, has been dragged to court.
The Niger State Police Command arraigned him for alleged unlawful s*xual assault of a minor before a Minna Senior Magistrate Court No. 4 in the state.
Other charge against him include removal of a child from the custody of parents, s*xual abuse and exploitation.
It was gathered Zaiyanu along with some of his friends currently at large carried the 13 years old minor to his residence at Tundun-Natsira for over two months and continuously assaulted her s*xually alongside his friends.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Godwin Adamu, had told the court that the three count charges contravened section 15 (2), 26 (2) and 27 (2) of Niger State Child Right and Protection Law of Niger State 2021 as amended.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR) on the 16 of August, 2023, one Mohammed Jiya of Gurara area reported at the Niger State Child Right Agency, Minna that on the 8 of June 2023 that the butcher took his 13 year daughter without his consent,
It stated that, “You Zaiyanu Abdullahi aged, 23 years, of Tudun Natsira area of Minna took his 13 years old daughter out of his custody without his consent to your house in Tudun Natsira where she stayed and cohabited with you in your house for three months”.
He explained that during police investigation, the victim identified him as the person who abducted and took her to his house, and was among the persons who repeatedly raped and s*xually assaulted her with his friend
When the charges were read by the presiding Senior Magistrate of the Court, Christy Barau, Zaiyanu pleaded not guilty, hence she ordered that he be remanded in correctional facility.
She adjourned the case to 21 of September 2023 for further hearing.
