A High Court sitting in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, has sentenced a man named Ahmadu Yaro to 21 years in prison for raping a three-month-old infant in the Adogi area of Lafia Local Government.
According to findings on Tuesday, Yaro was initially arrested in May 2020 by the Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for allegedly assaulting and injuring the baby.
The case, filed under suit number NSD/LF191c/2020, was prosecuted by the Nasarawa State Government.
Delivering judgment on Monday, the presiding judge, Justice Aisha Mohammed Bashir—who also serves as the Chief Judge of the state—described the incident as a “barbaric act” and a grave violation of societal values. She ruled that the 21-year sentence would serve as a deterrent to others involved in such crimes.
In an interview with PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, the Senior Special Assistant on Protocol and Media to the Chief Judge, Enoch Ali Maku, confirmed that Yaro had been undergoing trial for five years.
He explained that the Chief Judge found compelling evidence confirming the sexual assault, which led to the sentence.
“The Chief Judge delivered the ruling on Monday. After a lengthy trial that began in 2020, she found that Yaro committed the offence and sentenced him to 21 years in prison,” Maku said.
He added that the convict has the right to appeal the verdict within 30 days if he chooses to challenge the ruling.
“Although he can file an appeal, this is a serious offence, and the case was proven beyond reasonable doubt. Nonetheless, he has the legal option to contest the judgment,” he noted.
