by Azubuike Azikiwe

A 37-year-old man has been remanded in prison for defiling his ward, a 14-year-old boy.

On Wednesday, Yakubu Danladi, was arraigned on a one-count charge of ‘unnatural offence’ before a Magistrates’ Court in Minna. Danladi allegedly committed homosexual acts with a 14-year-old boy, Ahmed Mohammed, in his house in Minna.

According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Afred Auta, a certain Alhaji Danasebe reported the matter at the State Police Headquarters on Tuesday, 9 September.

Auta told the court that Danabese claimed that the accused had been having regular sexual intercourse with the boy over the past six months. He also said that the accused confessed to being guilty of the offence, while being interrogated.

The suspect, Danladi, reportedly said, “Mohammed has been living with me for the past two years because his mother who is my relative gave the boy to live under my care. The mother of the boy came to my house on Sept. 8 to take back the boy. It was then I realised that blood was coming out of the boy’s anus.”

“I told the mother to wait till the end of the month when I will receive my salary to take the boy to the hospital, but she refused. She objected to it by reporting the case to my uncle who then called the vigilance group; they started beating me and insulted me before taking me to the police,” he added.

Despite pleading guilty during interrogation, he made a turnaround at the court, where he pleaded not guilty to the offence, when the charge was read to him.

The presiding Magistrate, Amina Musa, adjourned the case till 29 September, to allow the police conclude their investigation into the matter.

Kolapo Olapoju