Mechanic kidnaps, rapes 13-yr-old girl for 5 days in Lokoja

 A Lokoja senior magistrate’s court has remanded a 28-year-old mechanic, Abdulkadir Salihu, in prison custody for allegedly abducting and raping a teenage girl for five days.

Mrs Joyce Abdulmalik of Lokoja Senior Magistrate Court 1 gave the order, yesterday, in her ruling on arraignment of the accused in Lokoja.The accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of kidnapping and rape, being offences contrary to Sections 273 and 283 of the Penal Code Law.

Prosecuting police officer, Corporal Ubi Ubana, told the court that one Adama Ibrahim of Galilee Street, Lokoja reported the matter at the ‘A’ Division Police headquarters and Department of Criminal Investigation, Lokoja on October 23.

According to him, Ibrahim had alleged that on October 16, at about 1:25 pm, his niece (names withheld), aged 13, was sent to buy Okro from Adankolo New Layout Market, when the accused “enticed her into his house on Agbai Street.”

The accused, who he said did this without the consent of her guardian, also had carnal knowledge of the victim without her consent.

He added that Salihu went further to lock up the girl in his room from October 16 to 20 of same month, to enable him have unfettered access to her.

“During the period, he had sex with his captive for several times before releasing her on October 20,” he said.

Ubana who told the court that investigation into the case was ongoing, and urged it to remand the accused in Koton-Karfe prisons, in view of the enormity of his offence.

In her ruling, Abdulmalik upheld the submission of the prosecution and ordered that the accused be remanded at the Medium Security Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe and subsequently adjourned the case to November 10 for mention.