By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Senate has passed a bill which prescribes life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of defiling minors.
The move by the Senate aims to stem the increasing cases of child sexual abuse by adults, including family members, teachers, caregivers, and clerics, leaving the victims with physical and psychological scars.
The bill followed a motion by Senator Adams Oshiomhole during plenary on Tuesday, October 21, noting that the offence of defiling a minor should be treated differently from that of raping an adult.
During his presentation, Oshiomhole proposed a 20-year jail term, which gained support from other lawmakers.
He said, “A minor is a child who cannot give consent and whose life can be permanently damaged by such an act. Those involved in defilement deserve severe punishment.
“I propose a 20-year penalty for anyone found guilty. There are disturbing cases involving children as young as five or ten.”
Speaking in support of the motion, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, stressed that offenders should face punishment without the option of a fine.
On his part, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero argued that the punishment should be stiffer to serve as a deterrent, proposing a life imprisonment.
“I want to propose that the punishment for defilement of minors should be life imprisonment, regardless of the offender’s gender,” Aliero said.
Aliero’s position gained the support of Senator Solomon Adeola, who argued that the gravity of the crime warranted the maximum penalty.
Those in support of life imprisonment for convicts were in the majority when the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the motion to a voice vote.
Akpabio said, “I hereby move that henceforth, any man or woman who is guilty of defiling a minor should be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
The bill’s passage is expected to serve as a deterrent amid growing public concern that many child rape cases go unpunished due to weak enforcement and social stigma.
If signed into law, the new legislation would replace earlier provisions under Nigeria’s Criminal Code and Penal Code, which prescribed lighter sentences for offenders.
