The Nigerian Senate has officially passed a new bill prescribing life imprisonment for child defilement, targeting anyone convicted of sexually abusing minors.
According to the provisions of the bill, any man or woman found guilty of engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor (child) will face life imprisonment without the option of a fine.
Moving the motion on Tuesday, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial District, argued that defilement of minors should be treated separately from the crime of rape.
“For a minor, this is a kid that is not capable of consenting or otherwise and whose life can be destroyed almost permanently. Those involved in defilement should suffer great punishment,” he said.
However, Oshiomhole’s motion did not receive majority support in the Senate chamber.
In reaction, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, proposed a stronger amendment, recommending life imprisonment as the proper punishment for anyone, male or female, convicted of defiling a minor.
“I propose that the punishment for defilement of minors be life imprisonment, regardless of the offender’s gender,” Aliero stated.
The Senate later adopted Aliero’s amendment, officially approving the bill that imposes life imprisonment for paedophiles and individuals found guilty of child defilement.
Child sexual abuse in Nigeria remains a serious criminal offence under multiple sections of Chapter 21 of the nation’s Criminal Code, with the legal age of consent set at 18 years.
A 2015 United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) report revealed that one in four girls and one in ten boys in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence before turning 18.
