By Umar Faruk Birnin Kebbi
A father, Malam Dauda Dahiru, from Tungar Giwa village in Shanga local government area of Kebbi State, has cried out for help over the alleged rape of his 13-year-old daughter, Sa'ima Dauda. According to Malam Dahiru, his daughter was suspected to have been raped by eight persons from their village, resulting in her pregnancy.
"I got to know that my daughter Sa'ima was pregnant through her mother, who hinted to me that we are in serious shame because our daughter Sa'ima is pregnant," he explained. "When I heard that, I was shocked for over 20 minutes before I could respond to the mother by directing her to interrogate her and come up with findings on how she became pregnant and who was responsible," he narrated.
Malam Dahiru added that the suspects allegedly took advantage of his daughter's mental health condition. "Those suspected to have raped my daughter think that because she has a mental illness, they can rape her without her knowing or identifying who raped her," he said.
Malam Dahiru further revealed that his daughter mentioned eight persons who had allegedly raped her, with some of them giving her N500 or N1,000 after the act. "When I went outside my house, I opened up the matter, and our village head, Malam Nura, got to know about the issue. He called upon the parties involved, including myself and my daughter. Shockingly, all the eight persons mentioned by my daughter as perpetrators were present, alongside the village head, vigilante group members, police representatives, and even the council chairman, yet nothing was done to address the issue," he said.
Despite the efforts to address the issue, Malam Dahiru claimed that the council chairman had resolved the matter without his consent, and no action was taken to protect his daughter's rights. "It was based on this lingering issue that made me look for another way of fighting for my daughter's rights. I am soliciting for state government intervention through the Ministry of Justice and relevant stakeholders because my daughter's right was violated, and I am from a poor family which I cannot afford to engage a lawyer," he appealed.
Malam Dahiru, a farmer, emphasized that he is struggling to make ends meet and feed his many children. "Please, I am appealing to those in a position or corridors of power to please wade in and fight for the rights of my daughter," he pleaded.
Tags
Crimes