Man rapes 12-year-old boy to death in Niger State

A 12-year-old boy, identified only as Aminu, has lost his life after he was allegedly sexually abused by one Abubakar, a tea seller in Ngwayanma, in the Kontagora area of Niger State.

Abubakar, aka Maishai, had reportedly abducted Aminu from his parents’ house sometime in March, and held him hostage in his (Abubakar’s) apartment. He was alleged to have severally had anal sex with Aminu for two weeks, until the victim fell ill.
It was gathered that a neighbour, who got wind of Aminu’s abduction, raised the alarm and reported the case to the police at the Kontagora division. While Abubakar was arrested, the boy was admitted to a hospital, where he died.
A police source said that Abubakar was arraigned in a Kontagora Chief Magistrate’s Court before the boy died, on two counts of abduction and unnatural offences, to which the defendant pleaded guilty.
“The unfortunate thing is that he was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with a fine of N30,000, which is ridiculous. The punishment generated a lot of outcry. But it is not the police’s fault. What the police can do is to appeal the case or file a new charge, now that boy is dead,” he added.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Elkana James, confirmed Aminu’s death, saying that the case had been transferred to the command headquarters in Minna.
He added that the suspect would be re-arraigned on a fresh charge of culpable homicide. He said, “He is still in prison, serving the one month’s imprisonment. Once the new charge is filed, he would be reproduced to take his plea.”