RismadarVoice Reporters
January 9, 2026
The Jigawa State High Court has sentenced a rapist, Abubakar Muhd (alias Akuya), to death by hanging, ordered him to pay ₦5 million in compensation to the 15-year-old victim.
The case, filed in March 2022, suffered prolonged delays due to the need for additional evidence and witness testimony.
It was initially charged as sodomy, was later reclassified as rape, following the implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, 2012, in Jigawa State.
The law expanded the definition of rape to include same-sex rape, enabling the prosecution to pursue stiffer penalties.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice Ado Yusif Birnin Kudu, found Muhd guilty of raping a 15-year-old boy from Nomi Village in Taura Local Government Area of the state.
“The convict committed the offence contrary to Section 3(1)(a) and (b) of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law and punishable under Sections 3(2), 4 and 5 of the VAPP Law, 2012, of Jigawa State,” the judge ruled.
The court also found the convict guilty of unlawful carnal intercourse with a minor, consequently sentenced him to death by hanging.
In addition, Justice Birnin Kudu ordered the payment of ₦5 million as compensation to the victim.
Reacting to the judgment, Director of Public Prosecutions, Jigawa State Ministry of Justice, Yahaya Abdullahi, described the judgment as sound, just, noting that it would serve as a deterrent to others.
He commended the judiciary for its commitment to justice and the protection of citizens’ rights, adding that the prosecution’s strong evidence led to the conviction.
Efforts to obtain comments from the convicted offender and his counsel, Barrister Lauiza of the Legal Aid Council, Jigawa State Office, were unsuccessful, as both declined to speak on the verdict or on the possibility of an appeal.
