Katsina: Headmaster docked over sex with 4-year-old male pupil

From: Agaju Madugba, Katsina
A Katsina Chief Magistrate Court heard, on Tuesday, how a 57-year-old headmaster, Sule Yusuf, sexually assaulted a four years old pupil in his school, through the anus.
The police said the accused allegedly committed the offence in his office at the Salihawa Primary School, in Tunge-Zuri village of Musawa Local Government Srea of the state.
Police Inspector Sani Ado said that the mother of the assaulted boy, Aisha Kabiru, reported the incident to the Village Head of Tungen Zuri, Alhaji Kabir Hussain, who contacted the police in the area over the matter.
The prosecution arraigned him for “cognizance” on a one-count charge of “unnatural offence,” contrary to section 284 of the Penal Code law and the Senior Magistrate, Hajiya Falile Dikko, directed that the accused be remanded in prison custody till August 24.
According to Dikko, “this court will not ask you whether the allegation against you is true or false as allegation of unnatural offence is triable by the High Court.
“Your case file will be duplicated and a copy sent to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice.
“If a prima facie case is established against you, you will be charged at the High Court but if a prima facie case is not established against you, you will be discharged pursuant to section 130(1)of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). You are before this court for cognisance purpose.”
Reports of sexual abuse of children have virtually become routine in Katsina State to the extent that Governor Aminu Bello Masari recently initiated moves to collaborate with some non-governmental organisations to check the menace.
In fact, on August 3, the police in the state announced the arrest of a 55 years old mechanic for sexually assaulting some female primary school pupils at Malumfashi in Malumfashi Local Government Area of the state.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gambo Isah, the suspect, “lured three pupils of a primary school in Malumfashi into his workshop with N500 and indecently assaulted them by putting his fingers into their private parts.”
And, within the same period, the police also arrested a 29 years old man for “an unnatural offence,” of having consistently sexually abused three primary school boys by having sex with them through the anus, at the Kadarko Estate of Sabon Gari.
Masari is expected to present before the House of Assembly, an Executive Bill which among other measures prescribes the death penalty for sexual abuse of children.