A man has been sentenced to life in prison by the Bauchi State High Court No. 6 for raping a girl inside a mosque along Aminu Street in Bauchi metropolis.
50-year-old Yusuf Bako was arrested in 2020 for the offence to which he confessed rapping a 4-year-old girl in the mosque during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. Earlier, he was twice jailed for similar rape offences.
Barrister Sha’awanatu Yusuf, Director of Public Prosecution, Bauchi State Ministry of Justice disclosed this in an exclusive interview with journalists on Wednesday in her office.
LEADERSHIP reports that the presiding judge of High Court No.6 Justice Sa’ad Zadawa delivered the judgement in late November this year after hearing parties in the case.
Sha’awanatu said the conviction is a milestone in the continued determination of the ministry to ensure justice for victims of rape and the veracity of the VAPP Law currently being operational in the state.
The Directors also the Administration of Criminal Justice Act expedite the process of trials for suspected rape cases in the state, adding that more convictions are expected to trickle in.
She called on parents and guardians to cooperate with authorities in prosecuting suspected rape offences.
“Some parents do not allow their children who became victims of rape to appear in court and give testimony,” Sha’awanatu said.
In 2022, Bauchi State Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed accented to the VAPP Law which provides the death penalty and life improvement for suspects of rape if convicted.
