By Suleiman Yakubu

A 55-year-old, Yau Ibrahim, is to spend the rest of his life in a correctional centre after he was found guilty by a Minna Senior Magistrate Court judge, Angwan Daji, of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
The presiding Senior Magistrate, Hajiya Hafsat Abdullahi Bawa Wuse, who passed the sentence on the convict, avered that the action of the convict has left an indelible mark on the life of the little girl.
Yau Ibrahim was earlier arraigned before the court on August 15, 2023, for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a six-year-old girl whom he infected with a sexually transmitted disease that has permanently damaged the health of the little girl.
The Police Prosecutor Inspector, Aliyu Yakubu Kuta, had called two witnesses during trial, who testified before the court as prosecuting witnesses one and two and gave vivid pictures of how the convict sexually abused the little girl.
Two exhibits were tendered during the trial, which included the confessional statement of the convict and a medical report from the Rayuwal Sexual Reference Centre Police Clinic in Minna. The police prosecutor then closed his case.
The Presiding Senior Magistrate, Hafsat Abdullahi Bawa Wuse, found him guilty on one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, punishable under Section 26(2) of the Child Rights Law 2021 as amended, and she convicted him accordingly.
The convict had pleaded for leniency, but the senior magistrate asserted that, considering the magnitude of the offence committed by the convict, he deserved no mercy from the court.
She said that "the victim's health status as confessed by the convict himself, who confessed as contained in the medical report, and the stigma the victim will carry for life as a result of the convict action, the court hereby sentence you, Ibrahim Yau, to imprisonment for life for the offence of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child," she ruled.
The senior magistrate, Hafsat Abdullahi Bawa Wuse, was the first magistrate to invoke the full wrath of life sentence on a rapist in Niger State.  

By Suleiman Yakubu

The Farmer Governor of Niger State, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago, has disclosed that the present administration in the state, under his leadership, is committed to building the capacity of those that will steer the wheel of the "New Niger Agenda."
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, made this disclosure on Monday while declaring open a week-long retreat for members of the state Executive Council, Permanent Secretaries, and other key political appointees, organised by Andersen Nigeria in conjunction with the office of the Head of Service of Niger State, held at the Royal Institute, Zuma Rock Resort, along the Abuja-Kaduna road.
He said the induction programme was a multi-sector approach towards the implementation of the "New Niger" policy, adding, "This programme, with the theme 'NEW NIGER AGENDA': A Panacea for the Sustainable Development of Niger State, was aimed at rapidly harnessing the abundant human and material resources in solid minerals, agricultural value chains, and other sectors of our economy."
He said that their motivation towards the implementation of programmes and policies for realising the New Niger Agenda led to the call for a one-week transformative induction programme on harmonious working relationships for the Executive Council Members, Permanent Secretaries, and some key political office holders in the Niger State Government.
According to him, "we must all think of Niger first in every decision we will take, so that together we have to entrench not only a sustainable Niger state but a state where the benefits of our progress are equitably distributed, leaving no one behind."
"It is about balancing economic growth with infrastructural development, ensuring that development today does not compromise the opportunities of future generations.
"The retreat under our leadership is a clear demonstration of our genuine commitment to capacity building and the creation of harmonious working relationships between the political class and the bureaucrats. This is necessary to strengthen the understanding of good governance and timely service delivery in the state," the governor explained.
He assured that at the end of the retreat they will be well equipped for governance, and Nigerlites will see a different approach to governance as they will do things differently from what was obtainable in the past.   The lead paper presenter, Prof. Mohammed Yahaya Kuta, who gave an overview of the Vision and Mission of Governor Umaru Bago for the New Niger Agenda, 2023–2027, observed that the retreat was very important as the participants were the key drivers of the New Niger Agenda and urged them to pay adequate attention to all that will be discussed and shared at the retreat.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Secretary to the Government of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Usman Gawu, said the retreat was deliberately organised to enable all to contribute to the brighter future the present administration envisages for the state.
He added that it was a platform to share ideas for collective achievement of state development, stressing the need to think and work as a team to build the New Niger of our dream, hence the organisation of the retreat.
The Head of Service of Niger State, Engr. Abubakar Salisu, appreciated the state governor for approving the retreat and said that the essence was to look at the past, compare it with the present, and mould the future, as he assured the governor that he would be proud of them at the end of the retreat.