Senate okays life imprisonment for sex offender

Kunle Awosiyan |

The Senate has passed into law sexual offences bill into law, making it life imprisonment for anybody found guilty of rape, child sex tourism or deliberate passage of HIV/AIDS to innocent citizens.

This was contained in the Sexual Offences Bill sponsored by Senator Chris Anyanwu, which prescribes life imprisonment for gang rape, 10 years for incest, another 10 years imprisonment for child pornography or more and a fine of N2 million as well as 14 years jail term for sexual offences.

According to the Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Umaru Dahiru, the bill seeks to redefine and consolidate existing laws on sexual offences.

Commenting, the Sponsor of the bill and Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Navy, Senator Anyanwu who from Imo East, expressed happiness on the passage of the bill, adding that the Sexual Offences law would make a comprehensive legislation on sexual offences by criminalising certain acts such as sexual tourism, child pornography and cultural and religious sexual offences in our criminal jurisprudence.

For witnesses, the new law provides for effective witness protection programme to protect victims and witnesses in trial for sexual offences.

“It also provides for compulsory documentation, supervision of sexual offenders and medical treatment for victims, which is in line with the global trend and finally, and most importantly, it provides for adequate and stringent punishments to perpetrators. The new sexual offences law also criminalises people who deliberately lace drinks with drugs to sexually abuse victims, prostitution of persons with mental disabilities, among others,” Anyawu stated.