Niger Assembly: Rapists to get 21 years jail term

In a bid to stop incessant rape cases in the country, Niger State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed into law, a bill seeking the establishment of Sharia Penal Code for the State and set aside 21 years jail term for anybody convicted of rape. The bill also states that any Nigerian who professes Islam as his religion should not marry more than four wives.

The Chairman, House Committee on Judicial Matters, Alhaji Isah Kawu, moved the motion for the House to receive the report of his committee on the mentioned bill.

He said the bill was an improvement over the previous bill which set aside 14 years jail term with option of a fine, while the passed bill provided for 21 years jail term without an option of fine for a convict under Sharia Penal Code.

He said, “The passage of the bill would greatly stem the tide of rape cases in the state and serve as a lesson to perpetrators”.

He added that the bill makes it an offence for any Muslim to marry more than four wives as provided by the Holy Quran and the offender risked severe punishment to be determined by the judge listening to the case.

“In Islamic teaching of four wives is what has been accepted as a norm, we are creating a guide to ensure it is adhered to,” he said.

He said the law was not applicable to traditional rulers and non-Muslims as the nature of the society will contradict the law.

The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Adamu Usman, in his ruling said the new Sharia Penal Code Law seeking to say that whoever was found to have raped a lady or a girl shall be liable for 21 years imprisonment and anybody who had married more than four wives before, would not be affected by the new law.

The bill would be sent to the Governor for his accent.

Reacting to the bill, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Niger State threw its weight behind the Niger House of Assembly for passing into law a bill that set aside 21 year jail term for anybody convicted of rape.

The Chairperson of FIDA, Hajiya Fati Suleiman Takuma, commended the lawmakers.

“With this bill passed into law women are more enriched and better equipped in dealing with all forms oppression or violence against the less privileged and vulnerable in the society,” she said.