The chief magistrate in charge of Court 3 in Minna, Niger State, Hajiya Halima Balaraba Yusuf, has ordered that a 20-year-old man named Philip Jonathan be kept in jail. He is accused of hurting a four-year-old girl.
Magistrate Yusuf said the court will work quickly to hear the case.
Philip Jonathan was brought to court by special police officers who focus on protecting children. These officers work in the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIIDs) in Niger State. The head of this team is SP Olubumi Duyilemi. Philip is charged with doing something wrong with a child.
The police report, labeled MN/CR/91/2024, says this act is against the law in Niger State under the Child Rights and Protection Law 2021 as amended.
The police officer in charge, ASP Emmanuel Bassa, shared that on June 29, 2024, at around 4:30 PM, a woman named Habibat Yakubu went to the police. She lives in the Gwanzunu area of Suleja. She told the police that on June 28, 2024, Philip Jonathan took her four-year-old daughter to his room and did something very bad to her.
Bassa explained that the little girl was hurt in her private parts because of this.
“After we got the report, the police quickly took action and arrested Philip Jonathan. During our investigation, the little girl pointed out Philip as the person who did this to her,” Bassa said.
When the charges were read to Philip Jonathan, he said he was not guilty.
Philip’s lawyer, Barr Ochegene Victor, asked the court to let Philip out on bail, saying that Philip should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
But the police officer, ASP Bassa, did not agree with this and asked the court to keep Philip in jail while the case is still going on.
So, the chief magistrate decided that Philip should stay in a correctional facility and said the next hearing will be on September 4, 2024.