A senior magistrate’s court in Minna, Niger State, has sentenced a 25-year-old man named Bala Aliyu to 13 years in prison for sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl.
Samira Wambai, from Minna Senior Magistrate’s Court No. 9, also ordered the man to pay N250,000 as compensation to the victim. He will also receive 20 strokes of the horsewhip.
Mr Aliyu lives in Bosso town. He was publicly flogged at the palace of the district head, Muazu Laka. Family members and community residents witnessed the punishment.
The Niger State Child Rights and Protection Agency (NSCRPA) handled the prosecution.
After the court’s decision was enforced, the agency’s director-general, Ummul-Khaltume Muhammed, said the judgement is a step towards fighting child sexual abuse and gender-based violence in the state.
"We will not compromise in ensuring that such people face the full weight of the law. We will not allow such persons to move freely in our streets. The full wrath of justice will be visited on perpetrators of these crimes against our girl child," she stated.
She encouraged parents and community members to stop protecting offenders and to report suspected child abuse cases to the right authorities.
Aisha Ashafa, the prosecuting counsel from the state Ministry of Justice, called the judgement a landmark decision.
Ms Ashafa revealed that the victim’s mother thought about withdrawing the case but changed her mind. She realized it was important to pursue justice for her child.
She urged parents, traditional leaders, and community heads to speak out against sexual abuse and report any suspected cases to the NSCRPA or the police.
The district head of Bosso, Mr Laka, said he was pleased with the public punishment. He believes it will help residents understand the seriousness of child sexual abuse and deter others from similar acts.
This conviction adds to the list of child sexual abuse cases in Niger State. In June, a Minna senior magistrate’s court gave four men a total of 95 years in prison for gang-raping and impregnating a 13-year-old girl in Kontagora.
The convicts, Salisu Baura, Lawali Shaibu, Haruna Sa’idu, and Bello, were found guilty of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child. The court called the crime “animalistic, inhuman and heartless.”
In another case in 2025, a chief magistrate’s court in Kagara sentenced 23-year-old Bello Hassan to life imprisonment for raping a 10-year-old girl. The court also ordered 12 strokes of the cane and N200,000 compensation for the victim.
Earlier, a Minna senior magistrate’s court sentenced 55-year-old Yau Ibrahim to life imprisonment for sexually abusing a six-year-old girl in Rafi Local Government Area. The girl suffered injuries and was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.
There have also been cases with younger offenders. Two men were sentenced to five years each for sexually abusing minors in Minna. One victim was eight years old, while the other was a 10-year-old girl who was abused repeatedly.
Recently, the National Human Rights Commission reported several child defilement cases in Niger State. These cases involved children aged four, five, 10, and 12.
These repeated cases highlight how vulnerable children are and the need for better community reporting, effective prosecution, and strong enforcement of child protection laws.
The latest conviction in Bosso comes amid several prosecutions in Niger State. Authorities are increasingly stressing the importance of holding sexual violence perpetrators against children accountable.
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