A man and his wife have been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for starving and keeping their 12-year-old niece in an old fridge for eight months.
According to Lindaikejisblog.com, the Sokoto Magistrate Court found one Emmanuel Bassey and his wife, Esther guilty of the offence, hence the sentence in addition to a N275,000 fine.
The news outlet reported that the State Police Command had rescued the victim, Joy Emmanuel, at her guardians’ home in the Sokoto Cinema area of Sokoto North Local Government Area.
“When our men broke the door of the cage, the girl was too frail to walk because she was emaciated. We met her in a very horrible situation, urinating and excreting inside the cage. The girl was taken to the Specialist hospital for treatment,” spokesman of the Sokoto Police Command, ASP Sanusi Abubakar is quoted as saying.
The now-convicts attributed their cruel act to the youngster’s alleged unstable mental condition, but police subsequently rubbished their claim.
“Delivering his judgement on Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Shu’aibu Ahmad fined the couple N25,000 or six months jail term for criminal conspiracy.
“He also fined them N50,000 for wrongful confinement and in default they would spend 12 months in prison.
“He averred that the couple were found guilty of cruelty to a child and sentenced them to 12 months imprisonment with an N100,000 fine each, and in default, they would spend three years in prison.
“Ahmad noted that they would serve the sentences concurrently. He however granted their two children, Goodness Emmanuel and Happiness Emmanuel bail in the sum of N500,000 and one surety each in the like sum,” Lindaikejisblog.com’s report says.
