Justice Umar Isa of Upper Area Court III in Yola on Tuesday adjourned judgement on a suspected rape case involving a married man and a five-year-old girl, as the case file was missing.

It was the second time the court will be delaying to pass judgment in the rape case.

The little girl was allegedly raped by one Mohammed, a 25-year-old married man and resident of Lelewarji Ward in Yola South LGA of Adamawa State.

Justice Isa expressed shock when he discovered that no mention was made of the rape case, even when the judgement was ready.

The judge directed one of the court clerks to go and bring the file, but the clerk went and returned without the file.

He told the judge that he could not trace the file and that the Registrar of the court was not around for him to ask if the Registrar was aware of where the file was kept.

Justice Isa then rescheduled the judgement to January 4, 2020.

Some members of Civil society Organisations, as well as women from Lelewarji Ward who were in the court for the judgement, expressed sadness over the development.

They pointed out that this was the second time the judgement would be adjourned.

Ms Nuwama Ishaku, the Human Rights Desk Officer of Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, Yola, described the development as shocking.

“The other time, it was shifted because of the Nigerian Bar Association Week and today, the file is nowhere to be found.

“We are here full of hope that our quest for justice for a survivor of rape is here at last, only to get this shock,” she said.

A member of Adamawa Coalition Against Rape, Ms Farah James, also expressed disappointment with the development, adding that the coalition would meet over the development to take a position.

Also speaking, Hadiza Hamidu and Aisha Ahmed, representing women from Lelewarji Ward that reported the alleged rape incident, said they were disturbed by the development and hope it was not a deliberate attempt by some interested parties to delay or subvert justice.

“We are frightened and disturbed by this development and hope it’s not an attempt to subvert justice,” Ahmed said.

(NAN)