Rape Cases On The Increase in Niger State-Police

By Saka Bolaji – Minna

The police in Minna Niger state on Friday raised the alarm that the number of rape cases in the state has been on the increase with the victims mostly teenagers of between 2 and 7 years old.

The police said an average of 4 rape cases were recorded weekly putting the number of cases this year at not less than 100.

The state Commissioner of Police Alhaji Muazu Zubairu who made this known in a message to an advocacy workshop organised by the International Federation of Female lawyers and the state Child Rights Agency said in one if such incidents a 50 year old man was arrested for having canal knowledge of a four year old girl.

In another instance Alhaji Muazu Zubairu said a 25 year old man raped a two year old girl.

The police boss who was represented by the the assistant commissioner of police in charge of Intelligence and and Investigation Alhaji Abubakar Shuaibu said in one of the cases charged to court the suspect was found guilty and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment without option of fine.

The police commissioner also disclosed that incidents of child abuse and domestic violence have also been on the increase blaming this partly on the economic situation in the country.

He said recently the police arrested a Fulani man who killed his wife for calling him a criminal while a house wife took the life of her mate over a measure of gari even after the suspect had taken and eaten her share with her children.

“We now have more cases with divorce because the wife left in the house maltreats the children of divorced wife”

The police boss advocated speedy investigation of rape and other related cases so that the culprits would be brought to justice without delay.

Wife of the Niger state governor Dr Amina Sani Bello in an address to the workshop expressed satisfaction that Niger state was the first state in the northern part of the country to establish an agency for the protection of children and women.

Dr Amina Bello assured that the state government will give the organization the needed support for it to perform it’s statutory roles.

Chairperson of FIDA in the state hajia Maryam Jibo challenged women to always speak out when molested by their husbands.

Hajia Jibo also cautioned housewives against allowing their children to go Hawking saying it has been discovered that some men lure the innocent girls with money during such trading.