The Senate on Tuesday canvassed stiffer penalties
for rampant rape cases as well as increasing brutality cases against the girl-child
in the country.
President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, disclosed
this in his remarks to 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.
He said: “We stand together on this, and I think we
need to make the penalties for rape stiffer as a 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 country."
Sponsor of the motion entitled: ‘Increasing cases
of rape and brutality against the girl child in Nigeria’, Senator Sandy Onor,
noted that on May 26, 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 him, “Efforts to save Tina proved
futile as she passed on two days later at a hospital.”
Citing another incident, the legislator noted that
“on May 27, 2020, a first year undergraduate student of the University of
Benin, Miss Uwa Omozuwa, was brutalised and raped at her church, where she went
to study in the evening of that day.”
“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: “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.”
Supporting the motion, Senator Biodun Olujimi 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 country.”
The Senate, thereafter, 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 serve as deterrent to perpetrators.
It also condemned the killings of the young girls,
and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the
unwholesome acts.
The Senate also observed a minute silence for Tina and Uwa
and all those who have lost their lives from such brutality and rape.
No comments:
Post a Comment