For the time in the history of Nigeria, Kaduna State has become a pacesetter in enacting a law to curtail the ravaging rape that has percolated the moral fabric of the country.
Wednesday, September 16, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna took an audacious step by signing into law the new State Penal Code (Amendment) Law 2020.
The law stipulates surgical castration and removal of Fallopian tubes for any male or female convicted of raping a child in the state.
Recall that the state House of Assembly recently amended Section 258 of the Penal Code Law No. 5 of Kaduna State 2017.
The law provides, “Whoever commits rape of a child below the age of fourteen (14) years shall on conviction, be punished with Surgical Castration and death.
“Whoever has sexual intercourse with a male child below the age of fourteen years shall be punished with surgical castration and death.
“Where a female adult is convicted for the offence of rape of a child, the Court shall punish the accused with Bilateral Salpingectomy and death.
“Where the victim is above fourteen years, the Court shall on conviction sentence the accused with a punishment of surgical castration and life imprisonment.
“Where the convict is a child, the Court shall order as appropriate under the Children and Young Person Law Cap 26 Laws of Kaduna State 1991.
“Where the victim is a child, the Court shall in addition to the conviction, order that the convict be listed in the Sex Offenders Register to be published by the Attorney General.
“Where the Court is trying the offence of rape involving a child below the age of fourteen years, corroboration of a medical report shall be necessary.”
Following the alarming rate of rape cases in the state, the governor called for stiffer penalties for convicts, saying that they may assault more persons if they are sent to prison and released after completing their jail terms.
“In addition to life imprisonment or 21 years’ imprisonment, anyone convicted of rape will have his organ surgically removed so that even after he finishes his term, he will not be able to rape anyone again.
“So long as the tool exists, there is the likelihood that he may go back to do it again. Most of the perpetrators are young people, so even after 21 years, they can come back and continue,” he said.
