A court in President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state of Katsina has fined four men found guilty of abducting and raping two underaged girls $33.
The Katsina State Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday found Ahmed Lawal, Abdulmalik Mustapha, Adamu Khalid and Abubakar Lawal guilty of charges of criminal conspiracy, abduction, and adultery.
The court presided over by chief magistrate, Hajiya Falilat Dikko, subsequently sentenced them to two weeks in prison and six strokes of cane each.
However, the convicts were given an option of 12,000 naira ($33.36) fine each in lieu of the jail term and caning.
According to police prosecutor, Inspector Sani Ado, the four men committed the offence on December 20, 2017.
He said the men, of Rafukka Quarters in Katsina, criminally conspired and abducted the two girls from neighbouring Abattoir Quarters and took them to an undisclosed destination where they had carnal knowledge of them.
Insp. Ado added that a report of the incident was lodged at the Central Police Station, Katsina, by two men, Ahmadu Ado of Tundun Yanlaludda Quarters and Sani Labo of Rafukka Quarters.
He said the report led to the arrest of the suspects, who were promptly charged before the court.
When their charges were read to them, the suspects pleaded guilty to the offences and pleaded for leniency.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Dikko held that the offences violated and the offenders punished under sections 97, 273 and 287 of the Penal Code.
“This court has also taken notice of the mitigation pleas by the convicts and the fact that they are all first offenders, hence they are being given options of fine in lieu of imprisonment.
“The convicts are to pay N2,000 ($5.56) each for the offences of criminal conspiracy or in default, serve two weeks in prison. For abduction, they are also to pay N5,000 ($13.90) each or serve five months’ imprisonment; The same goes for adultery where each convict is to pay a fine of N5,000 ($13.90) or serve five months’ imprisonment.
“The convicts are, in addition, also to receive six strokes of cane to serve as deterrent to others while they are also to sign letters of undertaking to be of good behaviour, henceforth,” Chief Magistrate Dikko ruled.