The Senate has raised the punishment for kidnapping from 10 years to life imprisonment.
It also deleted the statute of limitation on defilement as well as removed gender restrictions on rape.
The resolutions followed the third reading and passage of “A Bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code Act CAP. C.38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.”
The Bill, sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), seeks to delete the statute of limitation on defilement, increase punishment for kidnapping and remove gender restrictions on rape and other related matters.
The Bill also removed gender restrictions on rape by explaining that both male and female could be raped. The senators noted that when the Bill becomes law, an offence of defilement or rape would be actionable perpetually.
In his report on the Bill, Chairman of the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human and Legal Matters, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), noted that aim of criminal law and criminal justice system is not only for punishment but also for deterrence, retribution, restoration and rehabilitation of offenders
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