A man in his early 40s has been handed a 10-year jail-term after he was found guilty of raping his best friend’s wife, court officials in Borno revealed to LEADERSHIP.
The ground-breaking judgment which was handed by Justice Alkali Gana Wakil of the Maiduguri High Court No 11, after he had found it was established that the man, identified as Baba Ghana Mohammed of Damboa Town, Damboa local government area, could not defend his claims of innocence.
Babagana, according to reports from his community, had a reputation for forcing his way with married women, until luck ran out on him, when he decided to commit the crime closer home, when he attempted to rape the young wife of his best friend, whom he visited after her husband had travelled out of town.
According to the Registrar of the court, Barrister Sanda, Babagana was sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 283 of the Penal Code of Nigeria.
Wakil had, while pronouncing the judgment, observed that “the crime of rape has assumed a universal dimension and therefore people should be wary of associates and acquaintances with such evil tendencies”.
The judge described the convict as “a poacher of married women whose act is reprehensible and callous. He is thereby sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour.”
In his defence, Babagana simply described his act as “a mistake”.
LEADERSHIP FRIDAY understands that the judge was lenient with the accused, as Section 283 of the Penal Code prescribed 14 years for such a heinous crime.
