By Yakubu Uba
Yola – A Yola Upper Area Court on Tuesday discharged and acquitted a 25-year-old security guard, Mohammed Aliyu, accused of sexually assaulting a five-year old girl.
The police charged Aliyu with act of Gross Indecency, punishable under Section 287 of the Penal Code.
Discharging the suspect in a judgment, Presiding Judge, Umar Isa, held that the prosecution failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Isa said the witnesses presented by the prosecutor ended up casting doubt in the mind of the court.
“In view of all I have said and plethora of authorities cited Inter Alia, I am satisfied that the prosecution failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt and the accuse is therefore entitle to be discharge.
“Be that as it may, the accuse is discharge and acquitted.,” the court ruled.
Justice Isa gave the parties 30 days to appeal if not satisfied with the judgment.
Reacting to the development, Ms Nuwama Ishaku, the Human Right Desk Officer of Women and Adolescence Empowerment, the NGO that is following the case, said she was devastated by the judgment.
“We are going to sit with other groups under the Adamawa Coalition Against Rape to discuss the next line of action on this case,” Ishaku said.(NAN)
