Senate Passes Bill Seeking Life Sentence For Anyone Who Engages In Underage Sex

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed a bill seeking a life sentence for anyone who engages in underage sex which is one of the measures taken to reduce cases of child sexual abuse in the country.

Recognizing the fact that there could be instances of having a woman who will sexually abuse a male child, the bill says, ‘male or female’.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Senator Adams Oshiomhole had begun by emphasizing the need to treat cases of underage sex differently from that of rape cases that involve adults and proposed a 20-year sentence.

‘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 sentence for anyone found guilty. There are disturbing cases involving children as young as five or ten’ Senator Oshiomhole said.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, who spoke in the same vein, submitted that such people should face punishment without the option of a fine while Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero  said there should be a severe punishment for them.

‘I want to propose that the punishment for defilement of minors should be life imprisonment, regardless of the offender’s gender’ Aliero said.

When Senate President, Godswill Akpabio called for a voice vote, the lawmakers supported a life sentence for anyone who engages in underage sex.

‘I hereby move that henceforth any man or woman who is guilty of defiling a minor should be sentenced to life imprisonment’ he said.

Recall that the Senate had on June 4. 2015, passed the Sexual Offences Bill, 2015 that prescribed a life sentence for rapists and those who have sex with children under 11 years sequel to the report submitted by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters headed by Umaru Dahiru-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you