Rapists to get life imprisonment in Nasarawa as assembly passes bill

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill which prohibits all forms of violence against persons, provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims.

Speaker of the House, Ibrahim Abdullahi, who also sponsored the bill, announced its passage during the House proceedings in Lafia, the state capital, on Monday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

Abdullahi disclosed that the bill stipulated that perpetrators of rape are to get life imprisonment to serve as deterrent to others and for peace to reign in the state.

The speaker thanked his colleagues for supporting the bill and making it to see the light of day.

“This is a bill that I have personally sponsored. The bill, if assented to, will address the issue of violence against all persons in the state.

“I appreciate you all for the support and particularly the committee that handled this bill for a job well done, as we have taken oaths to provide quality legislation to our people,” he said.

The speaker said that the bill provided for an offender, who was less than 14 years of age, to be liable to a maximum of 14 years imprisonment.

“Depriving a person of his or her right(s) except through a court order is an offence in law.

“Where the offender is less than 14 years of age, the offender is liable to a maximum of 14 years imprisonment.

“Violence by state actors is one of the offences the bill seeks to provide for in the bill.

“It states that a state actor who commits political violence commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding four years or fine not exceeding N1 million or both,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the bill also provided that no person should publish any information which might directly or indirectly reveal the identity of any person to the proceeding.

This, the speaker said, was to give assurance to parties that whenever they came to testify in respect of any matter in the court they had a cover.

He directed the Clerk of the House to produce a clean copy of the bill for the governor’s assent.

Earlier, Alhaji Tanko Tunga, the Majority Leader of the House, moved a motion for the passage of the bill into law.

Mr Danladi Jatau, the Minority Leader of the House, seconded the motion.

The House unanimously passed the bill for governor’s assent.