The Nigerian Senate has expressed worry over the increasing rape cases and defilement of minors in parts of the country and has resolved that application of death penalty to offenders would go a long way to curb the evil act, if not stop it finally.
The lawmakers also highlighted the essentiality of reviewing relevant laws as well as open registers for rape offenders in parts of the country. These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on increasing cases of rape, sponsored by Senator Rose Oko.
The Cross River North Senator, asked the Senate to take the lead by reviewing existing laws to discourage the trend. She called attention to several alleged rape cases, including the one allegedly by the Pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo. According to her, the worrisome trend of rape cases has become a national problem that should worry the Senate.
Senator George Thompson Sekibo, in his contribution noted that prescribing death penalty for offenders, would not only serve as deterrent but would also ensure that justice is served. He further encouraged parents to report rape cases as soon as they occur so that security agencies can take appropriate action to apprehend the culprits.
“When an abuse of such a situation takes place, let the parents report the issue to the police or you come to the Senate. I learnt that when a rape case takes place, the private part should not be washed. They should go to the hospital and take the sample. To abuse a child of six months, is evil. No religion will take it. We should make it a death penalty. By the time you kill two people, people would have learnt and they will stop it”, he said.
Other lawamkers who support the motion include Kogi West’s Dino Melaye, and Lagos Central’s Remi Tinubu.
Melaye said the act is one of the satanic manifestations in the country and will not stop if stiffer punishment is not proposed. “When you report a case to the police, they treat it as if it is ordinary. Lecturers carry out sex for marks. I want to encourage the sponsor of this motion to go ahead and come up with amendments to deal with this barbaric act. There are now cases of male adults defiling small boys. These things must be cured and the Senate must take the lead in ensuring that this doesn’t continue in this country”, he explained.
Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi of Niger North then urged relevant agencies to establish a sex register for offenders, noting that opening a register for sex offenders will also go a long way to discourage the act.
