The Magistrates’ Court III, sitting in Birnin Kebbi, on Wednesday, remanded a 19-year-old man in a correctional centre for allegedly impregnating a 14-year-old girl in Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi.
The Magistrate, Atiku Abubakar, refused to listen to the defendant’s plea.
He ordered that the defendant be remanded in Birnin Kebbi Correctional Center until July 16, pending advice from the State Ministry of Justice.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Muhammad Kamba, told the court that four months ago, the defendant, Faruq Malami of Dalijan village in Gwandu LGA allegedly assaulted and had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl (names withheld) of the same address.
He also, in the process, threatened to kill her if she attempted to disclose what happened to anybody, adding that the defendant also seized her telephone.
Kamba noted that the alleged rape had resulted in a four months pregnancy.
The prosecutor, however, informed the court that the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter and sought adjournment of the case till July 16.
This, according to him, is to enable the police complete investigation, while awaiting proper counselling from the ministry of justice.
Kamba prayed the court to remand the defendant at the correctional centre till the adjourned date.
In his ruling, the magistrate ordered that the defendant be remanded at the correctional centre and adjourned the case till July 16, pending advice from the ministry of justice.
