It was a mild drama in a Yola Upper Area Court on Tuesday when the presiding judge, Justice Umar Isa, discovered that the file for a rape case he is to deliver judgement was missing.
The rape case was filed by the police against one Aliyu Mohammed, a 25-year old married man who alleged raped a teenage a 5-year old girl in Lelewarji Ward in Yola South LGA.
Justice Isa who exhausted the cases before him was shock when he discovered that no mention was made of the rape case which judgement was ready.
The judge directed one of the court clerks to go and bring the file, but the clerk went and return back to say that he could not trace the file and that the Registrar of the court was not around for him to ask him if he was aware of where the file was kept.
Justice Isa then rescheduled the judgement to January 14.
Some CSOs and women from Lelewarji Ward who were in the court for the judgement expressed sadness over the development pointing out that the accused has been on bail and that this was the second time the judgement would be adjourned.
“The other time it was shifted because of NBA Week and today the file is no where to be found.
“We are here full of hope that our quest for justice for a survivor of rape is here at last only to get this shock,” Nuwama Ishaku, the Human Right Desk Officer of Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, Yola, said.
Farah James, a member of Adamawa Coalition Against Rape and also expressed shock and disappointment with the development, adding that the coalition would meet over the matter to take a position.
Also speaking, Hadiza Hamidu and Aisha Ahmed who represented women from Lelewarji Ward who reported the rape incident, said they were disturbed with the development and hope that it was not a deliberate attempt by some interested party to delay or subvert justice.
“We are frightened and disturbed by this development and hope it’s not an attempt to subvert justice,” Ahmed said.
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