The Nasarawa State High Court has sentenced a 27-year-old man, Ahmadu Yaro, to 21 years imprisonment with hard labour for the sexual assault and brutalization of a three-month-old baby.
Justice Aisha Bashir-Aliyu delivered the judgment in Lafia, condemning the act as “barbaric, demonic, and a direct attack on the moral conscience of society.”
The judge emphasized that the sentence would serve both as justice for the infant victim and a deterrent to similar crimes.
Yaro, a resident of Adogi Village in Lafia Local Government Area, was arrested by the Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on May 27, 2020, following reports of the assault. The horrific incident left the baby with severe injuries, prompting immediate medical intervention.
The child was initially taken to Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia—now Federal University Teaching Hospital—before being referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Plateau State due to the severity of her condition.
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The case, which has dragged on for five years, saw multiple hearings before the eventual ruling. Yaro was first arraigned in May 2020.
Delivering her verdict, Justice Bashir-Aliyu underscored the need for accountability and the protection of society’s most vulnerable. She described the offence as an “unforgivable violation” and imposed a 21-year sentence with hard labour.
The ruling has drawn widespread attention and is being viewed as a landmark judgment in the state’s fight against gender-based and child-targeted violence.