For raping teenager: 63 year old HIV positive man to die by stoning

A Shari’ah court sitting in No-man’s land area in Kano metropolis, has sentenced to death by stoning, a 63-year old HIV positive man for raping a 13-year old girl and infecting her with the deadly virus.

The accused, Ubale Sa’idu Dotsa of Dotsa town, Kumbotso Local Government, was accused for luring and defiling the teenage girl last month and as a result, infected her infected with the HIV disease.

According to the accused, the teenager paid him unnecessary visit at his shop on several occasions in the night and that he was uncomfortable with the visit.

The accused added that he had forced her to leave his shop because he feared something wrong might happen between them until the devil instigated him to commit sexual intercourse with her.

He further revealed that he was not aware of his HIV status before the act.

When the court registrar, Uba Alasan Rimi, read the case before the court, the accused instantly pleaded guilty and showed remorse to the evil act.

The court’s magistrate, Faruk Ahmad, then sentenced the defendant to death by stoning, since he is a married man. In islamic Shari’ah law, a married person is stoned to death if charged with committing adultery and pleaded guilty.

Mr. Ahmad, then assigned the registrar, Mr. Rimi, to write a letter to the Kano State governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for recommendation.

Speaking after the judgment, the accused described the incident as fateful and pleaded for mercy from the court and government.

“ This is a fateful incident. She used to come to me in the night and I shunned her severally and thereafter, the devil whispered to me that I should have sexual intercourse with her. I didn’t know that I am HIV positive but I beg for mercy from the court and the government. I really regret my actions.” He said.

Giving further clarification on the judgment, an Islamic cleric in Kano State Hisbah Board, Malam Kabiru Muhammad Dabo, said “ This man has committed a very big sin and deserved this punishment. This is because he committed adultery on an under-aged girl, secondly, he carries a dreaded disease which is infectious and infected the girl; this is tantamount to killing a person and Islamically, the punishment of killing a person is to also to kill the killer.”