…Suggests
State Assemblies to amend penal and criminal code
President of
the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has advocated for stiffer penalties for rape
in Nigeria. Lawan made
the call in his concluding remarks on a motion considered to condemn the
increasing cases of rape and brutality against the girl child in Nigeria.
According to
him, having in place stiffer penalties in Nigeria’s criminal and penal code
will serve as deterrent to perpetrators involved in the act. “We stand
together should to shoulder on this, and I think we need to make the penalties
for rape stiffer to be sufficient deterrent for those who are involved in this,
or who even desire to be involved. We have to save our future, and these girls
and women are the future of this nation,” the Senate President said.
Earlier,
sponsor of the motion on “increasing cases of rape and brutality against the
girl child in Nigeria”, Senator Sandy Onor (PDP, Cross River Central), noted
that on Tuesday, 26th May, 2020, a 16 year old girl, Miss Tina Ezekwe, was hit
by a bullet when a trigger-happy policeman opened fire on a bus in Lagos. According to
the lawmaker, “efforts to save Tina proved futile as she passed on two days
later at a hospital.”
Citing
another incident, the lawmaker noted that “on Wednesday, 27th May, 2020, a
first year undergraduate student of University of Benin, Miss Uwa Omozuwa was
brutalised and raped at her church, where she went to study in the evening of
that day.”
He added
that, “brutality and rape cases against the girl child in Nigeria are on the
rise, with some of these cases reported and several others, admittedly
unreported.”
The lawmaker
who bemoaned the lack of safety for the girl child in Nigeria, said that, “our
young girls may no longer have the confidence to live their normal lives.
“The average
young girl in Nigeria is obviously becoming terrified and scared to live with
and trust her close male relatives and neighbours.”
Onor
expressed worry “that most Nigerian girls and women might have experienced one
form of verbal and physical abuse or assault in their lifetime."
He stated
further that the negative physical, psychological and emotional effects of rape
and brutality on young girls might impact them for the rest of their lives with
attendant consequences on their self esteem and general productivity.
Onor
expressed concern "that if proactive measures are not taken by relevant
authorities to curb these dastardly acts and bring the culprits to justice, the
cases of sexual assault and brutality will rise even further.”
The lawmaker
further stated that unless timely action is taken against sexual assault and
brutality, the absence of same “will hinder our growth as a nation and it is
therefore our responsibility as leaders to rescue these young girls from the
scourge of rape and brutality.
Lending her
voice in support of the motion, Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP – Ekiti South)
said, “these are very ominous times for our children, especially the girl
child."
“Mr.
President, if the authorities do not take serious action against rape, it would
become a big scourge that will eat us down the line because the girls are being
attacked psychologically, and that is not good for this nation.”
Accordingly,
the Senate in its resolutions called on the State Houses of Assembly to amend
the penal and criminal code to make the penalties for rape and sexual assault
stiffer so as to deterrent to perpetrators.
It also
condemned the killings of the young girls, and called for the immediate arrest
and prosecution of the perpetrators of these unwholesome acts.
The Upper Chamber
while urging the Federal Government to stage a campaign against the increasing
brutality and rape of the girl child, called on the relevant security
authorities to evolve proactive measures to checkmate these unfortunate
occurrences.
The Senate
also observed a minute silence for Tina and Uwa and all those who have lost
their lives from such brutality and rape.
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