Court grants bail to man accused of raping teenage girl

A Bauchi State High Court has granted bail to a 30-year-old man accused of raping a teenage girl in the state. Umar Mohammed was arraigned before the court by the State Ministry of Justice over alleged rape of a 13 year old girl in Azare. Prosecution counsel, Aliyu Shehu told the court that the accused […]

A Bauchi State High Court has granted bail to a 30-year-old man accused of raping a teenage girl in the state.

Umar Mohammed was arraigned before the court by the State Ministry of Justice over alleged rape of a 13 year old girl in Azare. Prosecution counsel, Aliyu Shehu told the court that the accused allegedly took the victim, a student of Junior Secondary School, Azare to his friend’s room and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. He said the suspect asked the girl to take some things inside the house on the pretence that he wanted to buy. He added that immediately the girl entered, the suspect followed her and asked her to lie on a mattress, removed her pant and had sexual intercourse with her.

Shehu told the court that a woman later rescued the girl and took her to her mother and the matter was reported to the police who took the girl to a hospital for medical examination and the result of the examination showed swollen vulva, tender vaginal wall, with bruises and bridged hymen. However, since the arraignment six months ago, the prosecution has been unable to provide any witness to testify in court.

When the case was mentioned yesterday the prosecution was again unable to call its witness, and the presiding judge, Justice Justice Aliyu Musa Liman said the court was in a fix despite several adjournments. Justice Liman thereafter admitted the accused on bail in the sum of N250,000 or two sureties in like sum,  and one of the surety shall be the village head or a Director employed by the Bauchi State Government.

He adjourned the case to March 28 for definite hearing.