An Upper Shari’a court sitting at Kofar Kudu in the ancient city of Kano has sentenced one Mati Audu, a 70-year-old man, to death by stoning after he was found guilty of defiling a 12-year-old girl.

This was just as the rapist admitted that he defiled the minor and was willing to accept his punishment of death by stoning.

However, the presiding judge, Abdullahi Sani Sarki Yola gave the verdict on Wednesday.

It will be recalled that the old man (Mr Audu), who is a resident of Falsa of Tsanyawa local government, willingly confessed to his crime before the judge.

However, in his ruling, the judge said that Islamic teachings gave Audu the chance at three different court sittings to reverse his confession in order to save him from the punishment.

The rapist then disclosed that he defiled the minor and was willing to accept his punishment of death by stoning.

However, in his ruling, the judge said that Islamic teachings gave Audu the chance at three different court sittings to reverse his confession in order to save him from the punishment.

“A god who let us prove his existence would be an idol.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab that Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan gave a judgment that the rapist had to pay the raped woman her bride- price.
Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "What is done in our community about the man who rapes a woman, virgin or non-virgin, if she is free, is that he must pay the bride-price of the like of her. If she is a slave, he must pay what he has diminished of her worth. The hadd-punishment in such cases is applied to the rapist, and there is no punishment applied to the raped woman. If the rapist is a slave, that is against his master unless he wishes to surrender him." Muwatta Malik : Book 36, Hadith 1418