The Kaduna State House of Assembly recently passed a bill to support death sentence and castration of rape convicts.
Legislators had amended the Penal Code Law No 5 of 2017 based on an executive bill brought by the State Governor.
The executive bill sought to amend section 258 of the Penal Code Law which states that “Whoever commits rape, shall be punished with punishment for imprisonment for life.”
According to the law, whoever commits rape of a child below the age of 14 years upon conviction will be punished with surgical castration and death.
In the same vein, whoever has sexual intercourse with a male child below the age of 14 years shall be punished with surgical castration and death.
This move by the Kaduna State government is commendable as this would send a strong warning to perpetrators of rape.
The law couldn’t have come at any better time than now when the rape epidemic has been ravaging many parts of the federation.
Iliya Bulus writes from Chikun, Kaduna State
