Another ‘controversial’ Bill returns to senate after withdrawal of Counter Subversion Bill

About two weeks after Nigerians rallied against the “Counter-Submersive Bill,” which has now been withdrawn, the Nigerian senate has returned another controversial bill.

A law to repeal the 2015 Violence Against Persons Protection (VAPP) act originally introduced to end the widespread practice of gender-based violence in Nigeria has scaled its second reading in the Senate.

Senator Jibrin Isah, the bill’s sponsor, said the repeal of the 2015 law will allow the introduction of amendments to address the drafting challenges in the current law.

While the current law is gender-neutral in language, it criminalizes physical, emotional, and sexual violence, has an expansive definition of rape (beyond penetration), provides compensation for victims, and recognises that men can also be rape victims.

Senator Jibrin Isah, representing Kogi East, is advocating for the repeal of the VAPP Act, claiming that its provisions are “inimical to the realization of its objectives”.

He argued for a holistic reform of the act, and asserted that physical violence alone is insufficient to prove violence; intent must also be considered.

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The senator also emphasized distinguishing between absence of consent and consent obtained by fraud, undue influence, or other unlawful means.

He further suggested that the act was deceitfully presented.

In his bill, he alleged that, “In the face of opposition to its obvious gender-based nature, the promoters renamed it, tinkered it with some of its provisions, introduced seemingly gender-neutral language, and successfully obtained its passage.”