How neighbour raped my daughter, narrates father of 5-year-old

 

IT is said that appearances, at times, could be very deceitful because one cannot know the intention of the next person, not even a person related by blood. Little wonder it has been agreed that one’s best friend could turn out to be his worst enemy. That was the situation with Yusseini Mohammed, a mobile policeman in Bauchi State who is still finding it difficult to believe that his neighbour that he once had confidence in, Mustapha, a herbalist, could be so heartless as to rape his five year old daughter in spite of the closeness between both families. They had lived together peacefully for years before the bizarre incident.
According to him, Mustapha looked harmless, not knowing that behind that harmless looking disposition was the devil incarnate. In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Yusseini broke down and in between sobs, he said, “Each time I look at my daughter Hairatu, I cry. This is an innocent girl who used to go to Mustapha’s house to play with his children. How could a grown up man of over 40 years defile a small girl like that,” he said as the tears rolled down his cheeks.
Worst still, is the fear by Yusseini that with the way the case is dragging on, Mustapha might go scot-free after sexually assaulting his little daughter and taking away her innocence.
The worried father said, “All I want is justice. This man is sick.  He deserves to be in prison,”. He appealed for justice from the authorities involved in handling the case which he took to court in a bid to ensure that the accused paid for his crime and  that Mustapha be put behind bars.
Yussieni, a police constable, explained that since May 2010 last year, when his daughter was defiled by the herbalist in the Wuntin Dada area of Bauchi Metropolis where they live with Mustapha as neighbours, the case had been dragging on with no sign that he would get justice.
In an interview with newsmen in Bauchi, Yusseini lamented that the suspect, Mustapha, had sold his house and belongings and allegedly relocated while his whereabouts remain unknown few days after he committed the heinous crime.
According to Yussieni., “He was in court only twice and he is always being represented by his lawyer.  The case has been transferred from a Chief Magistrate Court to a High Court in Bauchi adding that, “On the 26th of this month, we will be at the High Court and I hope that Mustapha would be in court.”
He added that on the D-Day, the suspect was once again not in court and this time, the judge was very furious and ordered the lawyers to ensure that he is brought to court unfailingly on the 14th of February.
Will he show up? Has he suddenly disappeared into thin air? These are some of the questions that agitate Yusseini’s mind even as he disclosed to our correspondent that his wife is yet to recover from the shock of what happened to their daughter.
Yusseini was extremely disappointed that Mustapha was not in court for the eleventh time, expressing regret that somebody who could defile a five year old girl is still being allowed to roam the street freely.
Narrating his ordeal, the visibly traumatised father lamented: “I was with my neighbour when my wife called me on phone that something was amiss in my house. When I got home, I saw my daughter with blood in her private part, and she was crying. I asked her what happened and she told me that Baba Sani (Mustapha) removed her pant and did something to her.”
The aggrieved father also said that he reported the matter at the GRA police station and Mustapha was  arrested and instead of being remorseful and  regretful, Mustapha tried to talk him into settlement without involving the Police.
“He was pleading that we should settle but I refused. I told him to settle with the police.  The case was transferred to the State CID and he was detained but was later released on bail and since then, we have not set eyes on him".
“I was told that he had sold his house and left the area. We had to relocate from the area after what happened.”
Yusseini is appealing to the authorities to ensure that justice was done saying that his daughter suffered physical and psychological damage saying that, "She couldn’t eat and for so many days she was bleeding through the nose. I feel very bad about what happened to my daughter because it has affected her seriously.”
Efforts to get the accused did not succeed as he was said to have relocated. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Barau when contacted, said that since the case was before the court he could not make any comment about it but assured that the case would be followed to its logical conclusion based on the provisions of the relevant laws of the land

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