**Fatshimetry: Man sentenced to seven years in prison for sexual abuse in Kano State**
A man named Lawan, who hails from Rangaza Damagari area of Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State, has been found guilty of three counts of sexual abuse after pleading guilty.
Delivering the sentence, Justice Aisha Mahmoud sentenced the offender to seven years imprisonment on each of the three counts brought against him by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kano Command.
Mahmoud said the prosecution had proven his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
She sentenced the offender to seven years imprisonment without the option of paying a fine.
The judge also ordered the offender to pay a fine of one million naira, and in case of non-payment of the said sum, he should serve an additional two years in prison.
“The sentence will be served concurrently,” the judge said.
The prosecutor and Zonal Commander of NAPTIP in Kano, Abdullahi Babale, said the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps Command, Kano, reported the matter to the agency on September 25.
He said the culprit committed the offence in August 2024, at his shop located at Rangaza Damagari.
“The culprit gave gifts to the victims, boys aged between 10 and 13, at his shop when they came to hire a small truck.
“Accordingly, he gave them N300, groundnuts and sexually exploited them,” Babale said.
The prosecution presented four pieces of evidence, including the culprit’s conviction and the victim’s testimony before the court, to support its case.
Babale said the offence was contrary to the provisions of Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Administration and Enforcement Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 26(1) of the Act.
In conclusion, Lawan’s conviction for sexual abuse sends a strong message of zero tolerance for such criminal acts in the society. It is imperative that we protect our children and combat all forms of sexual exploitation in accordance with the law.