Niger Court Jails Four Men 95 Years for Gang-Raping, Impregnating 13-Year-Old Girl

A Senior Magistrate Court in Minna has sentenced four men to a combined 95 years in correctional custody for the horrific gang rape of a 13-year-old girl, an assault that left the minor pregnant.

The convicts, Salisu Baura, Lawali Sha’ibu, Haruna Sa’idu and a fourth man identified only as Bello are all residents of Kontagora town in the Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State.

They were found guilty of a joint act and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, bringing a definitive close to a deeply disturbing case that began in 2023.

Delivering the judgement on Thursday, Senior Magistrate Christy Barau did not mince words, describing the crime as "animalistic, inhuman and heartless."

Addressing the rising epidemic of sexual violence against minors across the state and the country, Magistrate Barau stated unequivocally that the judiciary could not afford to be lenient. The heavy sentencing, she noted, was designed to serve as a severe deterrent to potential predators.

According to court proceedings, the four men took turns violating the 13-year-old victim in 2023. In a chilling detail that underscored the cruelty of the act, the court heard that the men gave the traumatised child a paltry N1,400 after the assault. The minor subsequently became pregnant.

The men were initially apprehended by the Kontagora Divisional Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), before being transferred to the state command headquarters for prosecution.

They were arraigned on two counts: committing a joint act, punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Law and unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, an offence under Section 26(1) of the Child Rights Law of Niger State, 2023.

Though the perpetrators initially admitted to the offence, the court ordered a full trial due to the severe gravity of the charges, refusing to simply enter a guilty plea without a comprehensive review of the facts.

During the trial, the prosecution built an airtight case. They called three key witnesses the victim, her father and the investigating NSCDC officer and tendered five damning exhibits. These included video and written confessions from the convicts, the victim’s own statement, voice recordings and a conclusive medical report confirming penetration.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, the defense failed to present any witnesses after the prosecution closed its case. Defence counsel Mohammed Jibrin Lemu could only plead for mercy, arguing that the accused had shown remorse throughout the trial.

In her ruling, Magistrate Barau acknowledged the plea but maintained that mere remorse could not absolve the men of the punishment demanded by such a grave violation of a child's rights.

She sentenced Baura, Sha’ibu and Sa’idu to 20 years in prison each for unlawful sexual intercourse, alongside an additional five years each for the joint act.

The fourth convict, Bello, who had previously been granted bail and is currently at large, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 20 years.

The sentences are to run concurrently where applicable, bringing the combined judicial penalty to 95 years.

This landmark conviction arrives amid mounting public outrage over the prevalence of sexual violence against children in Niger State.

The state has seen a troubling spike in such crimes. In February 2026, police arrested 10 suspects for the rape and sexual assault of minors across various districts, including Kontagora. Tragically, victims in recent cases have included children as young as three years old, alongside reports of unnatural offences committed against young boys.

Advocacy groups and state officials have continually sounded the alarm, calling for the strict enforcement of child rights laws and expedited trials for sexual offenders. Nationally, the crisis remains heavily under-reported due to familial pressure, societal stigma and historically weak institutional responses.

Legal experts have long criticised the slow pace of justice and historically light sentences that have often emboldened perpetrators. However, observers view Thursday's decisive ruling in Minna as a powerful signal from the Niger State judiciary: heinous crimes against the state's most vulnerable will now be met with the full, uncompromising weight of the law.