The Bauchi State High Court 1 has handed down a total of 70 years imprisonment to Adamu Abdulra’uf and Abdulkadir Wada for inflicting grievous harm and attempting to commit culpable homicide on a six-year-old girl.
The court received evidence that, on December 30, 2020, in Jama’are Local Government Area of the state, the defendants strangled six-year-old Hauwa’u Ya’u.
Following her loss of consciousness, they proceeded to use knives to sever her private parts for ritualistic purposes.
Justice Rabi Umar convicted and sentenced both Abdulra’uf, aged 20, and Wada, aged 21, to 35 years each after they pleaded guilty to the charges.
In the earlier proceedings, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Sabiu Gumba, informed the court that the defendants were arraigned on August 17, 2021, facing three charges: criminal conspiracy, causing grievous harm, and attempting to commit culpable homicide.
Four witnesses, including the victim’s father, were called by the prosecution, while the defendants testified for themselves without presenting additional witnesses.
As part of the evidence, Gumba submitted the two knives used in the commission of the crime, a bottle containing the severed private part, and a powder.