By Citizenship Newspaper
The Senate on Tuesday recommended life imprisonment for the offence of defilement of minors.
However, the red chamber stepped down further legislative action on approval or otherwise of the five year jail term recommended by the House of Representatives for abortionists.
Senate’s resolution to this effect followed concurrence sought to Criminal Code Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 forwarded to it by the House of Representatives.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) who presented the bill which has five year jail term as punishment for minors defilers but on the strength of alternative recommendations made by L during debate changed to life improvement.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), during his contribution to the debate, argued that defilement of minors should be treated as a very serious crime far above rape.
“Punishment for defilers should be more punitive or stringent than the one for rapists. If rapists are to serve, five years in jail after conviction child defilers, should not serve anything less than 10 years imprisonment”, he said.
However, Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) added more potency to the punishment by recommending life imprisonment, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate.
The 5 year jail term recommended in the House Bill against offenders of illegal abortion, however ran into troubled waters in the Senate for lack of clarity on the offence.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) who drew the attention of Senators to the nebulous provisions argued that illegality of abortion must be clearly specified as well as those perceived to be involved in it from buyers of drugs to sellers and abortionists.
In his contribution to the debate, Senator Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central urged the Senate to be very cautious on punishment against abortion as not all abortions can be classified as illegal.
He cited examples of abortions that are carried out to save the lives of carrier of life threatening pregnancies.
The Senate accordingly stepped down that aspect of the bill for more legislative inputs by its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal matters with a directive to report back within two weeks.
