A 67-year-old herbalist, Saadu Alabi, and one AbdulGaniyu Haruna who allegedly raped three underage students of a community junior secondary school in Ilorin were prosecuted before a Kwara State Magistrates’ Court.

According to The Punch, the herbalist and Haruna, a 38-year-old friend of the father of one of the girls had carnal knowledge of the minors on multiple occasions.

A police First Information Report revealed that the suspects had unlawful sexual intercourse with the children, all aged 12, under the disguise of providing them with an invisibility charm (locally known as afeeri).

The matter was reported by a member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers.

Both suspects are facing charges of unlawful sexual intercourse, contrary to Section 31(2) of the Child Right Law of Kwara State.

“On July 20, 2022, around 3 pm, a legal practitioner of FIDA, Ilorin branch, received a call from the SUBEB Secretary, Ilorin, that there was a case of one elderly man having sexual intercourse with three schoolchildren all aged 12.

“The three minors confessed that the suspects had sexual intercourse with them on different occasions.

“One of the victims (name withheld) said further that one Abdulganiyu, a close friend to her father, had been having sexual intercourse with her in his room on several occasions and Saadu Alabi, 67, of 8, Arobi Compound, Okekere, promised to do invisibility charm (afeeri) for them,” the report added.

When the case was mentioned in court, the pleas of the two defendants were not taken.

The prosecutor, Abdullahi Sanni, sought their remand in prison.

The magistrate, Mr O. A. Idiagbon, ordered the remand of the defendants in the Federal Custodial Centre, Ilorin, till August 4, 2022.