By Taye Obateru
A 35 year-old taxi driver who allegedly tricked his 13-year old sister in-law into the bush and raped her has been docked at the Area Magistrate’s Court, Pankshin, Plateau State along with his 40-year old accomplice.

The accused Yusha’au Bala and Haruna Garba both from Kanam local government area of the state were alleged to have pretended to want to give the girl Shafaa’atu a lift home but instead diverted into a bush and raped her. Bala is married to Shafaa’tu’s half sister.

The girl in her testimony described the experience as harrowing adding that she least expected such a treatment from her in-law whom she trusted. She recounted her experience in tears: “I didn’t expect that from my in-law. It was because I trusted him that was  why I joined his car. He deceived me that he was going to take me home so that he could use the opportunity to greet my parents over the recent death of my brother.

“But he instead drove me to a bush at top speed with his friend where they pounced on me, beat me and destroyed my womanhood. I was completely helpless and up till now, I can’t walk very well.”
The case has attracted the attention of the Plateau State Chapter of National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) which is following up the prosecution to ensure that justice was done.

Secretary of the chapter, Mrs. Salome Dashe who briefed journalists at the end of the hearing said the council was poised to pursue rape cases and other forms of injustice against women to their logical conclusion. She said the chapter was pursuing four other rape cases in Kanam Local Government Area to ensure that justice was done.