By Augustus Nkhwazi

Mzuzu, April 17, Mana: Principle Resident Magistrate Court in Mzuzu, Tuensday  convicted and sentenced Moja Shaibu, 65, to 21 years imprisonment with hard labour  (IHL) for having sexual intercourse with an 8 year-old girl

Shaibu committed the offence on April 11, 2025, at Kalama in Enukweni in Mzimba District, where both the accused and the survivor’s parents live as tenants.

Police Prosecutor, Samuel Juzwell, told the court that Shaibu used to entice the girl with fresh maize each time he forced himself on her.

In mitigation, Shaibu pleaded guilty to the charge before pleading for leniency, saying he fends for his family.

However, Juzwell prayed for a stiffer punishment on grounds that the accused had planned to commit the crime, and that as the girl’s neighbor, he had responsibility to protect the girl, which he failed to do.

Passing  the sentence, Principal Resident Magistrate Clemence Chamwenda, concurred with the state saying the convict had  committed a serious offence and ought to be  isolated from the community, and he  handed  the convict a 21-year jail term

Shaibu hails  from Ngwale Village in the  area of Traditional Authority Nyambi in Machinga District.