From Agaju Madugba, Katsina

The Katsina State police command says it recorded over 287 cases of rape and sexual defilement of minors in 2020 apart from 22 separate cases of sodomy within the same period.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at the command, SP Gambo Isah, 236 out of the reported cases of rape are currently under investigation.

Isah spoke on Thursday at a women’s summit with theme “The way out to rising rape cases in Katsina State,” organised by the Ministry of Local Government and NGO, Al-Ummah Support Initiative.

Decrying lack of cooperation from parents for a more effective prosecution of suspects, the PPRO noted that the victims are between the ages of three and 14 years.

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“We need the cooperation of parents to provide detailed information to police, to pursue rape cases in our courts,” he said.

Speaking earlier at the programme, Governor Aminu Bello Masari’s Special Adviser on Girl-Child Education and Development, Hajia Amina Lawal Mani, canvassed the death penalty for confirmed rapists.

She said, “the death punishment is the only solution to end the problem and save the lives of rape victims.
“The Department of Girl-Child Education receives cases of rape everyday across the 34 local government areas.”