An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced a 28-year-old suya seller, Shehu Dikko, to seven years’ imprisonment for defiling a 17-year-old girl in the state capital.
Dikko, a native of Sokoto State who ran a suya spot near IBB Junction, Uyo, was convicted by Justice Nsemeke Daniel after the court found him guilty of rape.
The incident occurred on September 6, 2023, at around 8:30 pm along Eka Street, Uyo, while the victim was delivering food to her sister at a hospital.
Evidence presented in court showed that the victim recognized Dikko as a regular customer at her mother’s food business. She told police that he accosted her in front of his house, held her hands, and dragged her inside when she resisted.
The victim said she hit her head on a wall during the struggle and became weak, after which Dikko forcibly had carnal knowledge of her, leaving her bleeding and unable to call for help.
She further told police that Dikko later gave her N2,000 and put her in a tricycle to take her home, but the rider abandoned her halfway after noticing her condition. She was later rescued by a Good Samaritan, who informed her mother.
The prosecution, led by counsel from the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice, charged Dikko under Sections 1(a) and (b) and 2 of the Akwa Ibom State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, 2022.
During the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses, including a medical doctor and the investigating police officer, and submitted four exhibits. A medical report admitted in evidence showed a broken hymen and bruises on the victim’s cervix.
In his judgment, Justice Daniel condemned attempts to frustrate the prosecution. He said:
“In this case, the victim was pressured to relocate to her state in the northern part of the country after her kinsmen insisted that the case be withdrawn. Even the victim’s mother came to court under compulsion to withdraw the case.”
The judge added:
“There is no doubt in my mind that the victim was chased out of Akwa Ibom State so that the charge would fail. This court will not allow justice to be undermined.”
While noting that rape carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, Justice Daniel said the court exercised discretion in sentencing Dikko to seven years.
