A Minna court in Niger State has sentenced Aliyu Bala to 13 years in prison and 20 strokes of the cane after finding him guilty of segxwally abusing his neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter.
The court also ordered Bala to pay ₦250,000 in compensation to the victim.
Following the judgment, authorities took the convict to the Hakimi Palace in Bosso, where the sentence was publicly enforced in the presence of community members.
The Director-General of the Niger State Child Rights Agency, Barrister Ummul-Kalthume Muhammad, described the development as unprecedented and stressed that the state government would not tolerate segxwal offences against children.
According to her, the public enforcement was intended to send a strong warning to anyone who believes they can abuse children and escape justice.
Muhammad also urged communities to stop protecting or concealing people accused of committing offences against children, stressing the importance of reporting such cases to the appropriate authorities.
A representative of the Niger State Ministry of Justice, Shafa, described the judgment as a significant development that could set an important precedent for future cases involving child segxwal abuse.
She disclosed that the victim’s mother had initially considered withdrawing the case but later decided to allow the legal process to continue after realising the importance of seeking justice for her daughter and holding the accused accountable.
The case has renewed calls for parents, traditional rulers and community members to take a stronger stand against child segxwal abuse and promptly report suspected cases.
The Niger State Child Rights Agency maintained that the punishment is not only about the individual offender but also serves as a warning that those who abuse children will face serious consequences under the law.
