A 50-year-old man, Yusuf Bako, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Bauchi State High Court for raping a young girl inside a mosque n Bauchi metropolis.

Newsmen reports that Bako was earlier arrested in 2020.

He was accused of raping an unidentified four-year-old girl inside the mosque during the COVID-19 lockdown.

It was learnt that he had previously been jailed twice for similar rape offenses.

The Director of Public Prosecution, Barrister Sha’awanatu Yusuf, who confirmed the conviction to journalists on Wednesday, emphasised the Ministry’s commitment to justice for rape victims and the enforcement of the VAPP Law in the state.

She said that the judgement was delivered by Justice Sa’ad Zadawa of High Court No.6 in late November this year after hearings from both sides of the case.

She also called on parents to support authorities in prosecuting offenders.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed , had ratified the VAPP Law in 2022, prescribing harsh penalties for convicted rape suspects.