Segun Atanda/
Arrests have been made by the police in Katsina State in four cases involving the rape of infants between four to nine years.
Those arrested were among various shades of suspected criminals paraded at the police headquarters in Katsina on Wednesday.
According to the state’s police spokesman, SP Isah Gambo, the suspects paraded included drug dealers, rapists, three cattle rustlers crossing the border from Zamfara and Katsina states, and a 67-year-old fraudster who duped several people posing as a recruitment agent for the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Army, Nigeria Custom Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps.
Gambo told NewsmakersNG about the rape cases including that of a 25-year-old man who had unlawful carnal knowledge of a 4-year-old girl at Dutsen-Reme Village, in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina; the case of a 55-year-old man who did the same to an 8-year-old girl at Unguwar Dajin Mare Village, in Dandume area of Katsina; a 9-year-old admitted at Malumfashi Hospital after she was raped, and the case of a 7-year-old who also landed in hospital after sustaining serious injuries from her rapists.
Gambo revealed in a statement how one 30-year-old Sani Haruna and Nura Ibrahim, 26, both of Unguwar Gambo Village, Malumfashi area of Katsina conspired and raped a 9-year-old girl on August 4, and the girl, who is now at the General Hospital, Malumfashi, sustained serious injuries on her private part.
He mentioned one Abdulrashid Dalha, 55, of Unguwar Dajin Mare Village, Dandume area of Katsina, who lured an 8-year-old girl into an uncompleted building and had an unlawful carnal knowledge of her. The victim was rushed to the General Hospital, at Funtua for examination and treatment.
One Abdullahi Sani, 25, of Unguwar Namama Village, also at Dandume area of Katsina also allegedly raped a 7-year-old girl, who went into a nearby farm to cut grasses for domestic animals. The victim has also been taken to the General Hospital at Funtua for treatment.
The police also told of one Jabiru Ahmed, 25, who allegedly lured and had an unlawful carnal knowledge of a 4-year-old girl inside his room at Dutsen-Reme Village, in Bakari area of Katsina, on August 12, at about 2:30 pm. He hails from Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina. The victim is also receiving treatment at the General Hospital, in Funtua.
According to the police, the suspect has confessed to the crime.
Other suspects whose cases were presented at the parade included two men held for drug peddling.
The police revealed that 79 bottles of cough syrup with the banned codeine were recovered from the suspects identified as Hassan Muhammad, 22, from Dandume area of Katsina and Umar Yusuf, 23, who resides at Layout Quarters, in Katsina.
A 67-year-old man, Steven Yakubu, was also paraded.
He was described as a notorious fraudster living at Old Legislative Quarters, GRA Quarters, in Katsina.
Gambo stated: “He is a notorious fraudster who has been parading himself as a retired Brigade RSM of the Nigerian Army. Nemesis caught up with the suspect when he defrauded one Benshima B. Nguesku of GRA Quarters, Katsina and others of the sum of N740, 000 with a pretext to secure them job vacancies in Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps. The suspect has confessed to the crime. The case is under investigation.”
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