Asiya (real name withheld) was nine years old when she was raped by a 20-year-old man last year in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State. The rapist, Kamilu, was well known to the little girl as a frequent visitor to her parents’ house.
“I know him. He used to come and collect food from my mummy and he always called me to give me sweets and money,” Asiya told this reporter in the presence of her mother. “That day, he took me into an uncompleted building and removed my clothes. He started with his finger and then inserted his penis in my vagina. He warned me not to tell anyone, that if I did, he would kill me.”
When the mother realised what had happened to her little daughter, she called her husband. The family immediately reported the incident to their community leaders and then the police. With the help of the officers, Asiya was taken to a hospital where tests showed that she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
