Court remands mechanic, 28, over abduction, rape of 13-year-old girl

From Omale Adama, Lokoja

A 28-year-old Mechanic, Abdulkadir Salihu was on Wednesday remanded in prison custody on the orders of a Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court for allegedly abducting and raping a teenage girl for five days.

The senior Magistrate, Mrs Joyce Abdulmalik, of Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court 1 gave the order, in her ruling on arraignment of the accused in Lokoja.

The accused was arraigned on a 2-count charge of kidnapping and rape, contrary to sections 273 and 283 of the Penal Code Law preferred against him.

The prosecuting police officer, Ubi Ubana (Cpl) told the court that one Adama Ibrahim of Galilee Street, Lokoja reported the matter at the ‘A Division Police headquarters and Department of Criminal Investigation, Lokoja on October 23.

According to him, Ibrahim had alleged that on October 16, at about 1:25 pm, his niece (names withheld) aged 13, was sent to buy Okro from Adankolo New Layout market when the accused “Enticed her into his house on Agbai street.”

The accused, who he said, did this without the consent of her guardian, also had carnal knowledge of her without her consent.

Salihu, he added that he did not stop there but went further to lock up the girl in his room from October 16th to 20th of same month, to enable him have unfettered access to her.

During the period, the prosecution added, the accused had sex with his captive for several times before releasing her on October 20.

Ubana further told the court that investigation into the case was on-going, as he urged the court to remand the accused in Koton-Karfe prisons in view of the enormity of his offence.

In her ruling Mrs Joyce Abdulmalik upheld the submission of the prosecution and ordered that the accused be remanded at the Medium Security Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe as she adjourned the case to November 10, for mention.