The Kaduna State House of Assembly has passed a bill sanctioning castration and death sentence for rapists.
The bill was passed at the plenary on Friday (today).
The bill was passed following the amendment of the state’s Penal Code Law No 5 of 2017 based on an executive bill brought by the state governor, Daily Trusts report.
The previous law, which recommended life imprisonment for rapists, was changed to surgical castration, bilateral salpingectomy and death when the victim is below 14 years.
“Whoever commits rape of a child below the age of 14 years upon conviction will be punished with surgical castration and death.
“Whoever has sexual intercourse with a male child below the age of 14 years shall be punished with surgical castration and death.
“Where the female adult is convicted for the offence of rape of a child, the court shall punish the accused by bilateral salpingectomy and death.
“Where the victim is above 14 years the court shall on conviction sentence the accused with punishment on surgical castration and life in imprisonment.
“Where the convict is a child, the court shall order as appropriate under the child and young person’s law cap 26 law of Kaduna State 1991 in addition to the conviction under subsection 1and 2 order that the convict be listed in the convict register to be published in the media by the Attorney General,” the amendment reads according to the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Tanimu Musa Kachia.
The state assembly stated that when a court is trying on the case of rape involving a child below the age of 14 years, the collaboration of a “medical report” shall be necessary.
