The Jigawa State government has approved the death penalty for the rape of any child under the age of 10 years in the State.

The State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Musa Adamu, who disclosed this at the end-of-the-year press briefing in Dutse on Thursday, said the law would come into effect immediately.

He said: “Anyone convicted of raping a child below the age of 10 shall be sentenced to death with no other option.

“Earlier this year the Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, signed the Violence Against Children Prohibition Bill which prescribed the death penalty for rapists but with the option of life imprisonment.

“But recently, the government has also signed the child protection law which prescribed the death penalty for anyone that raped a child below the age of 10.”

The Commissioner said the state Justice Ministry had received 196 case diaries while 178 pieces of legal advice were prepared in respect of the case diaries.

Adamu added: “Out of the total number of the case diaries, 90 were rape cases, 27 culpable homicides, sodomy has 31, kidnapping and abduction have a total number of 18 cases, incest two, two acts of gross indecency, 20 armed robberies while road traffic offenses have two cases.

“The ministry has prosecuted and defended a total number of 25 appeals before Court of Appeal, Kano Division. We have also completed the prosecution of 83 criminal trials before eight High Courts at Birnin Kudu, Dutse, Gumel Hadejia, Kazaure, and Ringim. We secured 34 convictions while 49 defendants were discharged and acquitted.”