Nigerian Senators take stands on rape issue at plenary

The Senate is requesting for the highest penalty for rapists in Nigeria, with emphasis on cases involving minors.

This was part of the resolutions reached during Tuesday’s plenary in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.

Senator Rose Okoh who represents Cross River North district had raised a motion as a matter of urgent public importance on the alarming rate of rape of minors.

In their various contributions, some senators decried how issues of rape were being handled by the police.

They, however, demanded that reports of such cases should also be sent to the Senate for prompt action.

The lawmakers also agreed that relevant laws be amended to reflect the heaviest punishments for rapists, with the hope that it could serve as a deterrent.

They urged the state governments to domesticate the Child Rights Act and Violence Against Persons Act in their different states, as a means of bringing perpetrators to book.