Rapist gets 20 lashes in public, sentenced to 13 years in jail in Niger

• From Justina Asishana, Minna

A man who raped his neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter has been sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment, N250,000 compensation to the victim and given 20 lashes of whip in public.

The man identified as Aliyu Bala was found guilty of raping the girl at a magistrate court in Minna.

After the judgment, the authorities took Bala to the Hakimi Palace in Bosso, where he was flogged in the presence of community members.

The Director-General, Niger State Child Rights Agency, Ummul-kalthume Muhammad, described the development as an unprecedented step to show that the government does not take sexual offences against children lightly.

She said the public enforcement was intended to warn anyone who thinks they can abuse children and escape justice while calling on communities to stop shielding people who commit such offences.

A representative of the state Ministry of Justice, who gave her name as Shafa, described the judgment as an important development that would set a precedent for how similar cases are handled urging members of the public to report suspected cases of child abuse instead of allowing offenders to escape justice.

According to her, the victim’s mother initially considered withdrawing the case because of pressures from families and the community but later decided to allow the legal process to continue after understanding the importance of seeking justice for the child and holding the accused accountable.

The Hakimi of Bosso, Malam Muazu Adamu Laka, said this was the first time he was witnessing such judgment in Minna, adding that it would serve a deterrent to anyone who has the mind of committing such crime in the future.

He expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying the public enforcement would help community members understand the seriousness of child sexual abuse.