By Peter Omopo
Lafia | July 22, 2025 — A High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced Ahmadu Yaro to 21 years in prison for the defilement of a three-month-old baby, an act described by the presiding judge as “barbaric” and an assault on society’s moral conscience.
The judgment, delivered on Monday by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Aisha Mohammed Bashir, brings to a close a five-year trial that began in 2020, when the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested Yaro in the Adogi community of Lafia Local Government Area.
Yaro was charged under case file NSD/LF191c/2020 by the Nasarawa State Government, following allegations of sexual assault and grievous injury inflicted on the infant.
In her ruling, Justice Bashir said the evidence against the convict was overwhelming and proved beyond reasonable doubt, adding that such a heinous crime warranted severe punishment to serve as a deterrent to others.
“This act is barbaric and a direct attack on the moral conscience of society,” the judge declared before handing down the sentence.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Enoch Ali Maku, Senior Special Assistant on Protocol and Media to the Chief Judge, confirmed that Yaro had been on trial for five years and was found guilty of raping the baby.
“The Chief Judge personally confirmed the rape, and the only fitting sentence was 21 years imprisonment,” Maku said. “Although he has the right to appeal within 30 days, capital offenses like this are rarely overturned due to the weight of the evidence.”
The conviction marks a significant moment in the fight against sexual violence in Nasarawa State, with authorities reaffirming their commitment to justice for the most vulnerable.
