Uproars have trailed the decision of a Kogi Magistrate Court in Lokoja, for releasing Yahaya Shaibu, a man who allegedly molested his daughter for three years.
Shaibu was arrested, paraded and subsequently arraigned by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for sleeping with his biological daughter, Saidatu Shaibu since 2021 following complaints by some Non-Government Organisations.
Shaibu’s release has irked the NGOs who said they were informed that the NSCDC prosecuting team allegedly collected bribes from the father and neglected the proceeding at the court; leading to Mr Shaibu’s release.
A counsel to one of the NGOs, Islamic Center for Communication and Creative Thought (The Chief Complainant), Barrister Muhammed Adoga Esq in a letter to the NSCDC’s new commandant, Ahmad Gandi urged the command to come out clean on the case.
A copy of the letter which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja read apart, “We are counsel to Islamic Center for Communication and Creative Thought (ICCCT) and Saidatu Shaibu whom we shall hereinafter be referring to as our clients on whose express instruction we so act, our clients briefed us thus:
“That they are unhappy and very uncomfortable with the sudden release on bail of one suspect in your custody who is the father of the nominal complainant Saidatu Shaibu whose case was brought before your command some weeks ago, concerning illegal sexual molestation by her biological father Yahaya Shaibu since 2021.
“That the father Yahaya Shaibu impregnated her daughter and aborted same, this singular act constitutes incest and the head of the Islamic Center for Communication and Creative Thought approached your office for justice to be done being the Chief complainant, but to our client’s greatest dismay, the suspect was released unconditionally without following the due process of law noting that we live in a society that is governed by law.
“Our client briefed us further that they received a call via a mobile call from the custodian of Saidatu Shaibu, that she was adequately informed that the suspect, Yahaya Shaibu has been released from detention without official communication from your Command to Saidatu Shaibu being the victim of sexual molestation. On further enquiry from your Command by our client, the information was confirmed as true.
“That our client was told the suspect was released on bail by a Magistrate Court entertaining the matter even though, Magistrate Court does not have jurisdiction to entertain this matter unless the suspect was brought by way of remand proceeding which the Chief Magistrate Court lack requisite jurisdiction to grant bail on the offence the suspect was charged with.
“That on behalf of our clients, we request to know the detailed circumstances that led to the Magistrate Court granting the suspect bail without meeting the legal procedure for bail.
“Furthermore, we are adequately informed that the case file of the suspect has been transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) as of when the matter was heard in court, thereby our clients are curious to know the charges levelled against the suspect by your prosecuting counsel which warranted the suspect the option that made him eligible for bail.
“That our clients being Chief and nominal complainants are seriously worried that the NSCDC should have notified them of the first hearing in court, more worrisome for our clients, is the fact that Saidatu Sbaibu lives in the same neighbourhood with the suspect currently staying under the watchful eye of her custodian therefore, the safety of both the victims and her custodian is seriously threatened.
“Consequently upon this, you are urged to do the needful and arrange the suspect in court that has the requisite jurisdiction and competence to entertain such offences against the state (defilement, incest and rape) which by the provision of the law i.e Adminstration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Kogi State 2017.”
Speaking on the sideline of the matter, the Executive Director of the ICCCT, Mr Baye Malik said the father upon release by the Magistrate Court has started threatening to attack the daughter as well as destroy all her educational certificates still in his possession.
On May 11, 2023, when paraded before newsmen by the NSCDC, Yahaya Shaibu confessed to the crime blaming the devil for the incest act.
