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The Nigerian Senate has approved a new bill stipulating life imprisonment for anyone convicted of sexually defiling a minor, regardless of gender.
The legislation, which received overwhelming support during Tuesday’s plenary session, aims to curb the growing incidence of child sexual abuse across the country.
Lawmakers argued that the rising cases of pedophilia and sexual violence against children demand stronger punitive measures to protect minors and deter offenders.
Reports from civil rights organizations and law enforcement bodies have highlighted a disturbing trend involving children—some as young as five—falling victim to sexual abuse perpetrated by relatives, teachers, and even religious figures.
Presenting the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) emphasized that the defilement of a child should not be treated on the same scale as adult rape.
“A child is incapable of giving consent. The trauma from such an act lasts a lifetime, and those responsible should face severe punishment,” Oshiomhole stated, proposing an initial 20-year jail term for offenders.
However, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, and Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) advocated for a more stringent penalty. Aliero suggested life imprisonment as the appropriate sentence, a position that was widely supported by his colleagues, including Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West).
When Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the matter to a voice vote, the motion for life imprisonment received unanimous approval.
Akpabio declared, “From now on, anyone found guilty of defiling a minor—whether male or female—shall face life imprisonment.”
The new legislation, once signed into law, will replace the previous provisions in the Criminal and Penal Codes that prescribed milder punishments for child defilement.
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