A father has raised alarm after he came across 51-year-old Yakubu Mohammed, who had been remanded in prison for raping his 13-year old daughter and infecting her with HIV in Dutse, Jigawa State.
According to Premiumtimes, Abdullahi Ahmad said he had been told the alleged rapist had been convicted and jailed by the government. An official later revealed the accused was only released on bail.
Mohammed was handed over to the police for allegedly raping the schoolgirl. Ahmad rushed to an independent radio station in the state after he came across the accused on the street.
He said his daughter was raped while on her way to school. She was later diagnosed to be HIV/AIDS positive, the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development confirmed to PT.
“I was shocked and nearly fell down unconscious when I saw Yakubu on the road walking. I later learned that he told his sympathisers he is now free, everything is okay now,” Ahmad revealed.
He appealed to the authorities to intervene, saying, “My daughter is now HIV positive and stigmatised. I force her to school but she shuns school because her friends snub her.”
Ladi Dansure, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, however, vowed the suspected rapist will not go unpunished.
“I heard that he bribed his way out of jail by giving out N200,000. Whoever collected the money must face the wrath of the law,” she said.
Explaining the circumstances under which the alleged rapist regained freedom, Auwalu Balago, spokesperson of the Jigawa State High Court, said he was only released on bail.
He said a magistrate, Sa’adan Habib, who granted the accused person bail followed the 1999 Constitution, which presumes an accused innocent until the contrary is proved.
