Lagos Assembly Plans Stricter Law Against Rape

The Lagos State House of Assembly is planning a stricter law against rape, a criminal act which is becoming a daily occurrence in the state.

It was learnt that the law, which may not include capital punishment for offenders, would prescribe serious punishments for anyone who is found guilty of the crime as against what the lawmakers think is a lenient law against the crime.

Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Omotayo Aramide Oduntan, who confirmed this to Assembly Matters, said the Committee was prepared to liaise with the relevant government ministries to fashion out the best way to handle rape cases through a review of relevant laws in the state.

According to her, it had been discovered that the laws against the crime had become obsolete.

“We will definitely fine-tune the law and make sure we give it more strength. The committee is working on some things and I know we will get there.

“You have a case where somebody raped somebody and at the end of the day, you give the rapist three months imprisonment or an option of fine of N1,000.

“With such judgement, you are encouraging these persons to go out there and continue to rape helpless women.

“We decided within the committee that we have to look at some of these laws again and see how, with the Ministry of Justice, we can review them and make sure that we have stiffer penalties introduced,” she said, adding that the state Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, had always frowned at the crime.

“You even have older men who are married raping children who are below three years old. Some of them even say they use it for spiritual purposes and if this is true, it is very bad. We also have parents raping their children too,” she lamented.

She disclosed that the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has a department for the handling of such cases when victims report them.

—Eromosele Ebhomele