Kebbi court remands 2 over sodomy, rape of minor

A magistrate’s court in Birnin Kebbi has ordered that one Bashir Samaila and Faruq Abubakar be remanded in prison for allegedly having anal sex with a teenage boy and defiling a 6-year-old girl.

Samaila and Abubakar were arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel at Gwardu and Argungu towns for allegedly having sexual affairs with their victims which the court said violated sections 245 ,283 and 284 of penal code.

The NSCDC prosecutor, Felix Ogbeke told the court that on November 5, 2017, Faruq Abubakar forcefully defiled the girl when she was sent by her parents to his shop to buy wheat for their cattle.

He pleaded the court to adjourn the case to enable the NSCDC to conclude its investigation on the matter.

On the second accused, the NSCDC prosecutor, Habib Sani, informed the court that Bashir Samaila sometime in September, 2017 unlawfully sodomised one Abubakar Muhammad, a teenage boy at Argungu without his consent.

He explained that after he had committed the crime he poured “chemical” on the victim’s head thereby causing grievous hurt to him. The offences, he said, contravened sections 284 and 245 of the penal code.

The accused persons, however, denied all the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The magistrate, Abubakar Atiku, ruled that the court has jurisdiction to entertain the first accused person’s case. He therefore ordered that he should be remanded in prison pending legal advice on the matter.

He, however, ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction on the trial of the second accused person on homosexuality but said the court would continue further hearing on the allegation of grievous hurt leveled against him by the complaint.

The case was adjourned to November 20, 2017 for further hearing.