JIGAWA State Command of the Nigerian Police Force said 11 men who allegedly serially raped a 12-year-old girl in the state for two months usually lure her with N30 or N50.
“She opened up that the 11 people have been having affairs with her since and they were giving her N30 or N50,” Jinjiri Abdu, the state Police Public Relations Officer disclosed this to The ICIR in a phone interview.
Abdu stated that the 11 men accused of rape were apprehended by the police in Dutse Local Government Area after the girl listed their names and addresses.
“When our people took over and started interrogation, the girl opened up that this is not the first time. She said there are many people that have been having affairs with her,” he said.
“We now went after the list she gave us and the address.”
He stated that those arrested are being investigated adding that some of them have made confessional statements.
However, the police spokesperson clarified that it was the arrest of a 57-year-old man who had attempted to rape the same girl that led to the arrest of 11 others that are being currently interrogated by the police.
According to him, the arrest was made after the police received a complaint that one Alh Zuwai, 57 -year- old of Ma’ai village in Dutse Local Government was seen at Limawa market trying to lure a 12 year old girl of the same address to a hidden place, to have intercourse with her.
He further explained that the said Alhaji Zuwai did not defile the victim but only lured her to an uncompleted building with an intent when he was caught by traders.
Abdu stated that in Northern part of the country, the issue of rape is far beyond consent.
According to him, having intercourse with a girl below age 14, even with her consent is still considered rape.
There have been calls by women and civil society organisations in the country for stiffer penalties against rape after a 22-year-old Uwavera Omozuwa, an undergraduate who was raped and murdered in a church building where she had gone to read.
According to the Sokoto State Hisbah, 606 cases of rape were also reported in 22 local governments of the state in 2019.
To check the trend, some individuals had also called for capital punishment or a life sentence as a sanction for the crime.
In July, 2019, the Senate passed a resolution to ensure a more stringent punishment is awarded for rape cases.
The advocated the need for State Governments to domesticate the Child Rights Act and Prohibition Act 2015.
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at [email protected]. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin