A Kano State High Court has sentenced 32-year-old Muhammad Zulfalalu, popularly known as “Mai Siket”, to 20 years imprisonment for raping an 85-year-old woman in Kiru Local Government Area.
Justice Aisha Mahmoud, delivering judgment Tuesday, convicted Zulfalalu on a nine-count charge of rape and housebreaking. He was sentenced to 20 years for rape and 6 years for housebreaking, to run concurrently, and was ordered to pay N500,000 compensation to the victim.
Prosecution counsel Aisha Yakubu-Adamu told the court that Zulfalalu unlawfully entered the victim’s residence in Gidan Kwano, Kwanar Dangora, between August 2019 and June 2020 and raped her at night. She added that the defendant had a pattern of entering homes naked to assault young girls and women before his arrest. Six witnesses were presented, and the offences contravened Sections 283 and 356 of the Penal Code.
Reacting to the judgment, Kano Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru-Maude, SAN, described the conviction as “a significant step towards strengthening public confidence in the justice system and protecting vulnerable persons from abuse”. He commended Yakubu-Adamu and state counsel for the successful prosecution.
Kabiru-Maude said the Abba Kabir-Yusuf administration remains committed to building a justice system that promotes accountability and safeguards human dignity. “Sexual and gender-based violence constitute serious threats to society and anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law,” he warned, reiterating the Ministry’s commitment to the rule of law and a secure, inclusive society.
