rape case file disappears in court

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Family members and human rights activists pursuing the prosecution of a child defilement suspect expressed disenchantment in court in Yola Tuesday, after they learnt that the file on the case could not be presented before the judge.

The case, which became a court issue last year, September 2018, has been about a 25-year-old man, Aliyu Mohammed, who is being tried for allegedly defiling a five-year-old neighbour in Yola Town, Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

After many court proceedings over the past 16 months, judgement on the case was fixed for Tuesday, but it had to be adjoined to January 14, 2020, after the judge, Hon Umar Isa of Upper Area Court 3, was told that the file was not available.

The Women/Human Rights Desk Officer of an NGO, Centre for Women & Adolescent Empowerment, Ms Nuwama Markus, who has been following the case, described the development as most unfortunate.

She said, “This case was due for judgement two weeks ago, but it was adjourned to today because lawyers were marking their Bar week. It is so very sad that it has to be adjoined once more.”

The sudden disappearance of the file came to light Tuesday afternoon when the Police Prosecutor, Srgt Ibrahim Aliyu, reminded the judge about the case after the judge had already treated a number of other cases.

When the judge asked for the file on the case, his clerk told him it was unavailable. He asked that the registrar be made to bring it, but was told the registrar was away.

The judge then rescheduled the judgement for January 14 and ordered that the file be produced by then.

The case had started in September 2018 when the suspect was dragged before the law after he was accused of sexually abusing the minor who lived with her parents in the same compound with him in Yola Town.

The five-year-old had told her mother that bloodstain which was noticed on her pant resulted from an act of the suspect.

The suspect had denied the charge and has since been reporting to court from a new place of aboard he moved to after he was released from detention on bail.