Jigawa State was in the news recently for the wrong reason after three young men were sentenced to life imprisonment by the State High Court for sodomising children.

Within the scope of two weeks, three people were sentenced for committing the offence on nearly 10 children.

Sodomy is referred to as a “crime against nature.” It is a sexual activity between people of the same gender or with animal.

In Jigawa State, different people aged between 27 and above were found guilty by the court for sodomising children in different local government areas. This has raised concerns among parents, Islamic clerics and other stakeholders.

In an interview with Daily Trust Saturday, a lecturer in the Department of Criminology, Federal University, Dutse, Sarki Suleiman, described sodomy as sinful as it defies natural human instincts.

According to Suleiman, abusive treatment of male children by mothers could be a factor that exposes children to sodomy, making male children develop hatred for the opposite sex. He said this could lead to the child developing more intimacy and attachment to his gender.

He said peer influence could be another factor that promotes sodomy among men, adding that it is a known fact that individuals do not live in isolation but always attached to others and want to keep the company of such people.

In view of this, he said some people may expose a person to some bad behaviours and attitudes such as sodomy, which they may succeed due to their intimacy with the person.

The lecturer also stated that parental negligence is another factor because some parents have developed the attitude of absconding from their obligation of proper upbringing of their children, which makes them vulnerable to being easily introduced to sodomy by those who showed love and care but with a hidden motive.

“Influence of social media is another factor that exposes some people to sodomy. Sometimes people come in contact with those who are already into the act, and as such, they explore this opportunity to seduce/influence those who come their way to go into it. This is done through sharing of erotic pictures and videos,” Sarki stated.

A parent and resident of Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, Auwalu Adamu, said one of the causes of sodomy was poverty, “because most parents don’t have the capacity to take care of their families.”

Adamu called on parents to monitor their children’s movements and the company they keep in school and outside the school.

A resident of Shaiskawa quarters, Dutse, Malam Rabiu Lado, said parental care was usually lacking in almost all cases of sodomy on minors. He urged parents to give child upbringing the concentration and the attention it deserves.

He also said most parents did not bring their children close to hear their problems and issues. This, according to him, leads to isolation and creates a major problem among the children.

A cleric, Rabiu Aliyu Garin Gabas Hadejia, on his part, said most male parents leave everything, including children’s upbringing to women; and things always go wrong when people leave their responsibilities for others.

He said watching pornography and other negative things in the social media play critical role, even though most of the victims are innocent school pupils.

A Jigawa State High Court sitting in Birnin Kudu, presided over by Justice Musa Ubale, has convicted and sentenced one Israfilu Sagiru, 25 years old from Zarena village, Birnin Kudu Local Government Area, Jigawa State, to life imprisonment for the offence of rape, contrary to section 3 (1) (e) of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP) number 02, 2021.

The convict was arraigned on September 5, 2021 before the High Court on a two-count charge of rape. He was alleged to have lured and sodomised two ‘almajirai’ pupils aged 11 and 12 on the pretence of giving them new clothes, and he had unlawful anal sexual intercourse with them.

In proving the case, the prosecution called three witnesses , tendered confessional statement of the defendant and evidence of medical investigation conducted on the boys which corroborated the case of the prosecution.

Delivering the judgement, Justice Ubale held that the prosecution from the state Ministry of Justice had proved all the ingredients of rape; and therefore, found the defendant guilty.

The judge sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment.

The judge further stated that it is sad that the convict had taken undue advantage of the victims’ vulnerability and tender age to perpetrate the crime, calling on parents to be more responsive.

Also, the Jigawa State High Court, number 3, sitting in Dutse presided by Justice Muhammad Abubakar Sambo, convicted and sentenced one Isah Haruna, 30 years old of Gwaram Sabuwa, to life imprisonment for the offence of sodomy.

The convict was earlier arraigned before the court on May 2, 2023 on a charge of rape, contrary to section 3 of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law 2021 of Jigawa State.

The facts of the case were that on June 10, 2022, the convict lured a 14-year-old boy to a shopping plaza at Gwaram Sabuwa of Gwaram Local Government, where he had anal intercourse with him against the order of nature.

Justice Sambo held that the prosecution had proved all the ingredients of the offence of sodomy against the defendant. The judge convicted and sentenced Isa Haruna to life imprisonment.

In another case, the High Court No. 6 sitting at Birnin Kudu presided over by Justice Musa Ubale, on November 29, 2023, convicted and sentenced one Ibrahim Sani, 25 years old, of Kiyako village, Birnin Kudu Local government, to life imprisonment for sodomy.

The convict was earlier arraigned before the state High Court on six- count charge of sodomy.

He was alleged to have sodomised six boys aged between 11 and 16 years. The offence is contrary to section 284 (1) of the Penal Code (miscellaneous amendments) Law No. 09, 2014.

The prosecutor, Yahaya Abdullahi, in proving the case against the defendant, called seven witnesses, tendered four exhibits and finally closed his case while the defendant testified in his defence.

Justice Musa Ubale, while delivering his judgement, held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. He sentenced and convicted Ibrahim Sani to life imprisonment.

According to Wikipedia, 63 countries have laws criminalising homosexuality. And the offence is punishable by death in 11 of these countries. (Daily Trust)

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