The Nigerian Senate has passed a bill prescribing life imprisonment for anyone convicted of sexually defiling a minor.
The legislation, approved during plenary on Tuesday, stipulates that any man or woman who engages in sexual intercourse with a child will face life imprisonment without the option of a fine.
The bill was introduced during deliberations on the need for stricter penalties against sexual offences involving children.
Leading the debate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) argued that defilement should be treated differently from rape, stressing that minors lack the capacity to consent and often suffer lifelong trauma from such abuse.
“For a minor, this is a child incapable of consent. Their life can be permanently destroyed.
Those involved in defilement should face severe punishment,” Oshiomhole said.
He initially proposed a 20-year jail term without an option of fine for offenders.
However, his proposal was rejected by the majority of senators, who opted for a harsher sentence.
Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) then moved an amendment calling for life imprisonment for any man or woman found guilty of defiling a minor — an amendment that was subsequently adopted by the chamber.
The passage of the bill marks a significant step in Nigeria’s legislative effort to curb the growing cases of child sexual abuse across the country.