Worried by the increasing rate in rape cases in the country, the Niger State House of Assembly has moved for the death penalty and life sentence for rapists and other sex offenders in the state.
The Assembly equally directed the Chief Judge of the state to designate a special court that will try rapists and sexual offenders.
This came as a Member representing Gurara Constituency, Honorable Binta Mamman, raised a matter of urgent public importance regarding the spike in rape cases in the State and the country.
She condemned recent rape cases especially in the state where an 85-year-old woman was assaulted, and two girls who experienced an incestuous relationship with their father for seven years.
“We need stiffer punishment for these people; most of these sexual offenders commit these offences repeatedly and the most surprising thing is that this is not only for girls, it is also applicable to the boy child. If there is a stiffer punishment on ground, these people will understand that what they are doing is wrong,” she said.
While lamenting over the prolonged determination of sexual offences cases that make offenders walk free, the legislator urged the House to direct the Chief Judge of the state to designate some courts that will try rape cases speedily.
The Speaker of the Niger state House of Assembly, Honorable Abdullahi Bawa Wuse, while passing the prayers of the motions stated that rape and other sexual offences are pandemics and worse than COVID-19.
He further stated that there was a need to look at the law of investigation as the investigating officers have the greatest challenge in terms of prosecution of such cases.
