2 Men Took Turns To Rape 1-Year-Old Baby In Katsina (Photo)

From Agaju Madugba, Katsina


Call them monsters, you may be right. Others may even prefer to tag them minions, which may also fit. The description is not what the police in Katsina are looking for at the moment. They are searching for two men who took turns to rape a year old baby right in the presence of her mother.

With the manhunt not yielding any result and the initial two suspects arrested now free, the traumatised mother of the defiled baby last weekend fled her village with the victim, obviously for safety of mother and child.


Disturbing rise

Some of the rape reports may well be described as bizarre even as the perceived motives remain mind-boggling perhaps comparable only to the age-long tales by moonlight. When in March a 57-year-old Katsina man defiled her seven months old step-daughter, he justified the action arguing that he merely executed an advice revealed to him in a dream designed to cure him of his self-confessed several years of unbridled quest to always have sex.

Caught in the act and later paraded before reporters by the police in Katsina, Salisu Magaji of Mamadi village in Jikamshi local government area confirmed that, “I actually raped the seven months old baby girl. I actually had a dream about the incident because I womanise. My first wife is late. She had six children for me. I thought God had helped me overcome the habit of going after women until when I married this woman who came into my house with a baby. So, it was revealed to me in the dream that if I rape this girl I will stop womanising.” It is not known yet if it worked for him since he has been in prison and undergoing trial but the baby eventually died after two weeks at the Turai Yar’Adua Maternal and Child Hospital in Katsina.

Another confirmed rapist who is also an armed robber, Abdulbashir Bishir, 26, says a witch doctor recommended sexual contact for him to enable a talisman against gunshots become effective. When he was eventually caught raping a 13 years old girl, Bishir explained that, “the herbalist gave me the charm which he said I should use to rub my sperm after having sex with the girl and that after that, I should throw the talisman in a graveyard. I held her hand, we entered into the house and I rubbed my joystick on her body but I never had sex with her. She is 13-year-old.”

Some of the highly placed in society are also involved in the rape mania as a senior member of the Katsina State Emirate Council recently lost his position and being tried in court for allegedly having an unlawful sexual relationship with 15 years old girl who was in his house on an errand from her parents. After having his way, the accused reportedly gave the girl N3,000 to take care of herself. She informed her parents and was later taken to the hospital where doctors confirmed she was raped.

Earlier in February, a Katsina Senior Magistrate Court heard the case of a 20-year-old man, Babangida Saidu, of Shargalle town in Dutsi local government area who was alleged to have sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl in the premises of Shargalle primary school where Babangida reportedly lured his prey. And, in January, the court heard the case of 56-year-old man, Ibrahim Shehu, of Kofa Guga in Katsina metropolis who forcefully defiled 12-year-old girl and offered her N60 thereafter.


The latest absurdity

In fact, according to the police, the issue of rape, especially involving minors has become routine in Katsina even as the police are still on the trail of two men suspected to have defiled a year old baby girl at Angwan Bawa village in Danja local government area, on May 9.

The suspects reportedly snatched the baby from her mother and took turns to rape her while the mother, Suwaiba, watched helplessly. The baby was treated and discharged at the Funtua General Hospital, according to the police and family. When our correspondent visited the area on Tuesday, the woman had fled her home with the baby. But the husband, Ahmadu Jbril, 50, father of 10