Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Raping Eight-Year-Old Girl in Delta State

A Delta State High Court in Asaba has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to a 35-year-old man, Idris Hassan, for the rape of an eight-year-old girl.

Idris Hassan was charged with rape under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 Vol. 1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006. The incident occurred on August 22, 2022, where he allegedly committed the unlawful act against the minor. Initially pleading not guilty, he was later found guilty of the charge.

The prosecution, led by Mrs. Patricia Akamagwuna, Director of Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence, and Childs’ Rights Unit in the Delta State Ministry of Justice, presented six witnesses and the convict’s confessional statement as evidence. The court was told that Hassan, who worked as a gate man for a neighbor of the minor, lured the girl into his act with the promise of biscuits before sexually assaulting her. The neighbor caught him in the act, leading to his subsequent arrest by the police from the ‘B’ Division in Asaba.

During the trial, the defendant denied the charge and withdrew his earlier confession, asserting that there was no sexual contact between him and the minor.

In delivering the judgement, Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro expressed confidence in the prosecution’s evidence, stating that they had proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Consequently, the court sentenced Idris Hassan to life imprisonment for the heinous crime he committed against the innocent girl.